Technology

lundi 18 juillet 2022

The best Sonos speaker and soundbar deals

*The Sonos Roam launched last year is now available for just $139 when purchased in refurbished condition from Sonos.* | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Most would agree that Sonos offers some of the best speakers and soundbars currently available. That’s because Sonos makes speakers that — more often than not — boast great sound quality, support for all the major streaming platforms, and simple multi-room functionality. Unfortunately, however, those perks often come at a high price. Sonos products aren’t cheap, and, outside of the occasional rogue discount, they rarely go on sale. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t ways to save at least a few dollars on Sonos gear.

If you’re comfortable buying refurbished, for example, you could save a decent amount. We also occasionally see sales on Sonos’ collaborative series with Ikea and discounted bundles that include Sonos products, which makes it easier to set up an entire home audio system while saving money. And, if you’re a student, Sonos offers a program you can join to get a 15 percent discount when you spend up to $2,500 on full-priced speakers and accessories.

Regardless of their existence, these discounts can be hard to find. That’s why we’ve curated this list of the best Sonos deals you can currently take advantage of. Here, we’ll guide you through the best sales available, helping you to get the best bang for your buck.

*The portable Roam offers the best water resistance of any speaker in the Sonos lineup.*

Sonos Roam deals

The Sonos Roam is one of the clearest, most pleasant portable speakers we’ve ever used, and we’d recommend it as a personal speaker for small gatherings. It offers a rugged design, a relatively durable build, wireless charging, and support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It’s also compatible with Apple’s AirPlay 2, which lets you stream music from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac over your home network. Plus, it’s the first Sonos speaker with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, which means you could use it in the bathroom or near pools.

Note, however, Sonos won’t let you pair two in stereo when listening over Bluetooth, unlike other similar speakers, though you can play Bluetooth audio over your entire Sonos system. It also only offers around 10 hours of battery life, which isn’t that great, and it can be challenging to use the speaker’s Wi-Fi features outside of your home. Read our Sonos Roam review.

Nevertheless, it’s a good portable speaker you can currently buy in refurbished condition from Sonos for $139 instead of $179, the price you’d normally pay for a new model. Sonos also is selling a couple of discounted bundles containing the Sonos Roam if you’re interested in purchasing multiple devices, one of which contains two Roams for $338 ($20 off) and another that pairs a Sonos Roam with the recently-released Sonos Ray for $433 ($35 off). Finally, if you don’t picking up a Roam without a microphone, you can buy the Sonos Roam SL – which is otherwise identical to the Roam – in new condition for $159. Read our Sonos Ray review.

*The small Sonos One supports a range of music services and comes with a good microphone.*

Sonos One (second-gen) and Sonos One SL deals

The second-generation Sonos One is a small smart speaker with a good microphone for voice control. It emits balanced, full-bodied sound that’s impressive for its size while integrating well with existing Sonos products. The 2017 speaker also works with a range of music services and supports both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, however, the process for setting up voice assistants can be complicated. The One offers touch controls, too, as well as support for AirPlay 2 thanks to a post-launch software update.

The Sonos One typically sells for $219 new, however, you can currently buy a refurbished model in white for $197.99 from Best Buy. You can also purchase a two-room set in black for $419 instead of $438 from B&H Photo.

*The Sonos One SL is similar to the second-gen Sonos One, but without the always-listening microphones and voice controls.*

However, if you prefer something cheaper, you can also buy the Sonos One SL. It’s basically the same as the Sonos One and features identical sound quality, however, it lacks an always-on microphone and voice assistant support. The Sonos One SL typically sells for $199.99 new, but right now you can buy a pair in new condition for $378 ($20 off) from Sonos; you can also buy the white model as a standalone speaker in refurbished condition from Best Buy for $179.99.

Photo by Nilay Patel / The Verge

The Sonos Arc works well as both a home theater soundbar and music speaker.

Sonos Arc deals and Sonos Arc SL deals

The Sonos Arc is an all-in-one home theater soundbar that pairs quite nicely with large TVs, but works well as a music speaker. The 45-inch soundbar boasts powerful, immersive sound and is compatible with Dolby Atmos and a range of other audio formats, including TrueHD (for external Blu-ray players), Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Digital.

Like the Sonos Roam, it also offers built-in support for Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple’s AirPlay 2. One drawback, however, is that you may need a recent 4K TV — likely something released after 2017 — that supports Atmos over HDMI ARC to hear it at its best. We also noticed surround sound doesn’t always work well in large rooms, which means it’s not particularly apartment-friendly, especially when coupled with its size.

The Arc usually starts at $899.99, but you can buy the black model in refurbished condition from Best Buy for $809.99. If you’re into bundles (and don’t mind spending a lot more), Best Buy is selling the Arc with two Sonos One SL speakers and the third-gen Sonos Sub, a subwoofer that takes care of the low-end while you watch TV shows and movies, for $1,946 ($103.96 off). You also can buy the Arc with two One SLs without the Sonos Sub at Best Buy for $1,237 ($62.97 off), or the Arc with just the Sonos Sub for $1,568 ($80 off) from Sonos.

*The newer Sonos Five sounds exactly like its fantastic predecessor, the Play:5.*

Sonos Five (2020) deals

The Sonos Five replaced the Play:5 music speaker in 2020 but is actually nearly identical to its excellent-sounding predecessor. It shares the same six custom-designed drivers inside, so it should offer the same high-quality listening experience as the Play:5, which was ideal for large rooms or parties. Other than that, however, there aren’t many noticeable differences. Compared to the Play:5, Sonos says its successor offers increased memory and processing power, as well as a new wireless radio. There are also all-black or all-white options. Note, however, that the Sonos Five lacks a built-in microphone and support for Alexa and Google Assistant — something every other speaker in the current Sonos lineup offers.

The Sonos Five starts at $549, although you can buy it for $494.99 in refurbished condition right now at Best Buy. You can also buy a new set of two for around $1,048 instead of $1,098 from Sonos, B&H Photo, and Best Buy. Sonos is additionally selling a Turntable set, which includes the Sonos Five and a Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB Turntable, for $948 ($50 off).

*The last-gen Sonos Beam offers great TV sound quality but, unlike the second-gen model, lacks support for Dolby Atmos.*

Sonos Beam (first-gen and second-gen) deals

Sonos’ previous entry-level soundbar, the first-gen Sonos Beam, functions as both a smart speaker and a soundbar for smart TVs equipped with HDMI ARC. We praised how well it improves TV sound quality in our 2018 review, as well as how simple and easy it is to set up and use. It’s not as great as other standalone speakers in the Sonos lineup for just playing music, but as a general-purpose speaker, it’s a good buy overall, especially if you’re adding it to an existing Sonos setup. The Sonos Beam also offers touch controls and support for Apple’s AirPlay 2, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, allowing for hands-free commands.

The first-gen model lacks the second-gen Beam’s support for Dolby Atmos and an eARC HDMI port. Nevertheless, it remains a competent soundbar that’s currently available in refurbished condition from Sonos for $319 instead of $399, which is the price it sold for when it was new and more readily available.

*The Sonos Immersive Set comes with the second-gen Sonos Beam, which supports Dolby Atmos and HDMI eARC.*

You can also buy the second-gen Sonos Beam — which offers better performance than its first-gen predecessor, supports Dolby Atmos, and comes with HDMI eARC — for $404.99 in refurbished condition at Best Buy instead of $449, the price it sells for new. Best Buy and Sonos are additionally discounting a few bundles. The Sonos Immersive Set, for example, contains the second-gen Beam, two Sonos One SL speakers, and a Sonos Sub. Normally $1,596, Best Buy is selling the four-piece set for $1,499.96 ($100 off) while Sonos is selling it for $1,506 ($90 off). Sonos is also selling the second-gen Beam with a One SL for $807 ($40 off), as well as a second-gen Beam with a third-gen Sub for $1,138 ($60 off).

*The Sonos Move is powerful but tall and relatively heavy for a portable speaker.*

Sonos Move deals

The Sonos Move offers a loud, powerful sound similar to the Sonos One, but with slightly more volume. Unlike the One, however, you don’t need to find the right spot in your home for it to hear it well, given it’s better at distributing sound throughout a room. We also found that it sounds terrific no matter whether you’re in the living room or outside at the park.

However, while the Move was Sonos’ can certainly function as a portable speaker, it's better suited for moving about your home. That’s especially true when compared to the newer Sonos Roam, namely because the 10-inch speaker weighs 6.6 pounds and is a bit more challenging to lug around while traveling. Additionally, the fact that its battery can only last 10 hours on a single charge — which is noticeably less than many other Bluetooth speakers on the market — means this doesn’t make for the best portable speaker.

That said, it is a great buy if you want an excellent-sounding Sonos speaker you can pick up and take into your garage, living room, patio, or any other room in your home. It also comes with features like IP56 weatherproofing and support for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s AirPlay 2, not to mention seamless integration with other Sonos devices.

If the Move seems like a better fit for you than the Roam, you can buy a refurbished model from Best Buy right now for $359.99 instead of $399.99, the price it sells for new. You can also buy both the Roam and a Move for $548 from Sonos. Alternatively, Sonos is selling the Move with a Sonos One for $588 instead of $618, as well as the Move and the Arc for $1,238 ($60 off).

Russia fines Google $365 million over YouTube videos containing ‘prohibited’ content

Illustration by William Joel / The Verge

Russia imposed a nearly $365 million fine (21.1 billion rubles) on Google for failing to delete YouTube videos that go against the country’s laws, as reported earlier by Reuters. In a translated press release, Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor states that YouTube didn’t follow orders to remove “prohibited content,” which includes videos “promoting extremism and terrorism,” as well as supposedly false information about the war in Ukraine.

In March, the Roskomnadzor threatened to charge Google over its failure to remove “illegal” YouTube videos, stating the fee would start at 8 million rubles (~$94,675 USD at the time), with the possibility to climb to 20 percent of Google’s annual revenue. The 21.1 billion rubles reflects a chunk of Google’s yearly turnover in the country, but it’s unclear if Google will actually go through with paying the fine. Google didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

Google announced its plans to shut down its Russian operations in May, stating that government authorities seized its assets in the country and that it would be “untenable” to keep the branch functional. The search giant’s Russian subsidiary officially filed for bankruptcy last month.

Russia and Google have feuded in the past. Last December, Russia fined Google $100 million for once again failing to delete banned content, but things escalated following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Like many other technology companies, Google cut off Russian customers from various services, pausing the sale of ads on Google, demonetizing YouTube channels owned by Russian state-backed media, and barring access to those channels.

The new Google Wallet is starting to show up on people’s phones

Image showing a phone running Google Wallet, displaying a payment card and airline tickets. — *Return of the Wallet* | Image: Google

Google Wallet, the app that will replace Google Pay in many countries (more on that in a moment), has started to show up on people’s phones. According to Google spokesperson Chaiti Sen, the company has “started rolling out the Wallet to Android users in 39 countries,” and it’ll be available “to all users over the next few days.”

Google announced Wallet at its 2022 I/O event, pitching it as an app to manage all your digital cards — not just for payment, like debit and credit cards (though it does hold those), but for digital representations of your identification, vaccination status, tickets, keys, and more as well.

Google announces Google Wallet, a new digital wallet for Android 13 #GoogleIO2022 pic.twitter.com/7OwXFvsi65
— The Verge (@verge) May 11, 2022

In most countries, Wallet will be replacing the current Google Pay app. (9to5Google reports that it’s currently rolling out as an update to Google Pay.) However, Google said that users in the US and Singapore would use both Google Pay and Wallet. In those countries, Pay will stick around as a way to send friends money.

*Google’s rollout information for Wallet from I/O.*

Google’s had several iterations of Wallet that came before the one rolling out today. In 2011, it was an NFC payment app, and it evolved to include other payment features, such as peer-to-peer money transfers (there was even a physical Google Wallet debit card at one point). In 2018, Google combined it with Android Pay to form Google Pay. Now — in most places, at least — that app is starting to turn back into Wallet. It’s another big change in a long line of shake-ups for Google’s payment apps but hopefully one that will make it easier to store digital cards and pay with your Android phone.

Unity CEO apologizes for calling some game developers ‘fucking idiots’

Unity CEO John Riccitiello has apologized for calling some game developers “some of the biggest fucking idiots” in an interview and has vowed that he will “do better.”

This is a saga that has been playing out over several days, so let’s take a few steps back. On July 13th, Unity, which makes a popular game development engine, announced that it would be merging with ironSource, which offers software that helps developers monetize their apps. Riccitiello (who was formerly the CEO of EA) and Unity SVP Marc Whitten were interviewed by Pocket Gamer about the news, and the interviewer talked about how some developers push back on implementing monetization earlier in a game’s development.

That’s where Riccitiello said the “fucking idiots” quote (with emphasis ours):

[Pocket Gamer:] Implementing monetisation earlier in the process and conversation is certainly an angle that has seen pushback from some developers.

Riccitiello: Ferrari and some of the other high-end car manufacturers still use clay and carving knives. It’s a very small portion of the gaming industry that works that way, and some of these people are my favourite people in the world to fight with – they’re the most beautiful and pure, brilliant people. They’re also some of the biggest fucking idiots.

I’ve been in the gaming industry longer than most anybody — getting to the grey hair and all that. It used to be the case that developers would throw their game over the wall to the publicist and sales force with literally no interaction beforehand. That model is baked into the philosophy of a lot of artforms and medium, and it’s one I am deeply respectful of; I know their dedication and care.

But this industry divides people between those who still hold to that philosophy and those who massively embrace how to figure out what makes a successful product.

That statement, unsurprisingly, led to some significant criticism from developers, including from Donut County (and more recently, Neon White) developer Ben Esposito. “I made Apple’s iPhone Game of the Year in 2018 (Donut County) using Unity, but according to their CEO I’m a ‘big fucking idiot’ for not making Hole.io, the F2P game that ripped it off,” Esposito wrote on Twitter.

i made Apple’s iPhone Game of the Year in 2018 (Donut County) using Unity, but according to their CEO i’m a ‘big fucking idiot’ for not making Hole io, the f2p game that ripped it off https://t.co/Gv1zqy0BjH
— Ben Esposito (@torahhorse) July 14, 2022

Riccitiello posted his first apology on Twitter a day after the interview was published. While he was “deeply sorry” for offending developers, he claimed that something was “clickbait” and “out of full context,” seemingly referring to the “fucking idiots” quote from the Pocket Gamer interview.

Clickbait. Out of full context. Deeply sorry if what I said offended any game dev. Absolutely love the people that make games. Creative, hard work. #Unity
— John Riccitiello (@johnriccitiello) July 15, 2022

On Monday, Riccitiello shared a second apology on Twitter: “I want to talk about both what I said in the interview, and my follow up tweet. I’m going to start with an apology,” he wrote. “My word choice was crude. I am sorry. I am listening and I will do better.”

Much of the message celebrates developers, but he also makes a point to clarify his comments to Pocket Gamer. “What I was trying to say, and clearly failed at saying, is that there are better ways for game developers to get an early read on what players think of their game,” he wrote. “To learn from their feedback. And, if the developer wants, to adjust the game based on this feedback. It’s a choice to listen and act or just to listen. Again, both are very valid choices.”

“Anyway, that’s it,” he concludes. “Lots of words. And a sentence that I wish I had never said.”

To our friends in the #unity community, I owe you this— pic.twitter.com/llJUL1LwXS
— John Riccitiello (@johnriccitiello) July 16, 2022

NGL Is the App That Will Tell You What You Don’t Want to Hear

NGL Is the App That Will Tell You What You Don’t Want to Hear NGL is only the latest anonymous-messaging platform to take off by making explicit the subtext of most social media: We’re all judging one another. Why is it so hard to resist?

Amazon C.E.O. Andy Jassy Breaks From the Bezos Way

Amazon C.E.O. Andy Jassy Breaks From the Bezos Way Jeff Bezos’ successor has set himself apart with a hands-on approach in Washington.

Watch the trailer for a new HBO show from the Weeknd and the creator of Euphoria

*Lily-Rose Depp and the Weeknd in The Idol.* | Image: HBO

HBO has released the first teaser trailer for The Idol, a new show co-created by Sam Levinson, creator and primary director of Euphoria, as well as Abel Tesfaye, better known by his stage name The Weeknd. The Idol stars Tesfaye as a Los Angeles club owner and modern-day cult leader as he embarks upon a “complicated relationship” with a rising pop idol played by Lily-Rose Depp.

As you’d expect from a show that shares its creator with Euphoria, The Idol’s trailer is a debauched affair that promises the series will tell “the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood.” Levinson is directing each of the show’s six episodes after director Amy Seimetz stepped away from the project in April, Deadline reported at the time. News of the change in director was joined by reports of casting changes and reshoots to rework the series.

An official release date for The Idol is yet to be announced, but its trailer promises that it’s “coming soon.”

Union calls on UK Uber users to join 24-hour strike over revelations

Public asked to avoid using ride-hailing service on Wednesday in response to issues raised by Uber files

A trade union representing “gig economy” workers is calling on Uber customers to join a 24-hour strike in response to the Uber files, a series of revelations about the cab-hailing app published by the Guardian and its media partners.

The App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU) invited Uber users to avoid using the service for a day on Wednesday and instead join a demonstration at the company’s headquarters in London.

Nephew of jailed Hotel Rwanda dissident hacked by NSO spyware

Latest findings suggest Rwandan government has deployed surveillance campaign against relatives of Paul Rusesabagina

The mobile phone of a Belgian citizen who is the nephew of Paul Rusesabagina, a jailed critic of the Rwandan government made famous by his portrayal in Hotel Rwanda, was hacked nearly a dozen times in 2020 using Israeli-made surveillance technology, according to forensic experts at The Citizen Lab.

The findings follow earlier revelations by the Guardian and other media partners in the Pegasus Project, an investigation of Israel’s NSO Group, that Rusesabagina’s daughter, a dual American-Belgian national named Carine Kanimba, was under near-constant surveillance by a client of NSO Group from January to mid-2021, when the hacking attack was discovered by researchers at Amnesty International’s security lab.

dimanche 17 juillet 2022

Travel tech: the best gadgets to pack on your holiday this summer

Technology to keep you entertained when you’re away, from headphones to TV streaming sticks and more

Summer is finally here, and after two years of disruption, many people will be getting on a plane, long-distance train or ferry for the first time in a long while.

A lot of us will inevitably be chucking a few gadgets and gizmos into our suitcases and hand luggage – from essentials such as travel adaptors to the items that can make a journey more pleasant, such as headphones and portable handheld fans.

Hyundai N’s ‘rolling labs’ imagine performance EVs that aren’t so boring

Hyundai’s attempting to keep car culture alive with its two performance-focused electric vehicle (EV) concepts it calls “rolling labs.” The RN22e features a modified Ioniq 6 body, and the N Vision 74 is modeled after the never-released 1974 Pony Coupe concept — but both feature a refreshing sporty design that doesn’t look like some sort of futuristic pod (or, well... this thing).

The two concepts come from Hyundai’s “N” sub-brand, which focuses on high-performance vehicles. The N Vision 74 is the most striking of the two, and features a design that draws elements from the 2025 Hyundai N Vision Gran Turismo and the 1974 Pony Coupe concept that was originally designed by the iconic Giorgetto Giugiaro — the same man who went on to make the DMC DeLorean.

But this iteration swaps the gas-powered engine for a hybrid hydrogen fuel cell system capable of pushing the car over 250 kph (155mph). There’s also the 62.4 kWh battery with 800V fast charging capabilities, as well as an over 372-mile driving range.

This isn’t Hyundai’s first attempt at creating an EV modeled after the Pony, though. In 2019, Hyundai showed off a 45 EV concept that’s supposed to pay homage to the classic car (but doesn’t really do it justice in my opinion). Hyundai later converted a 70s-era Pony hatchback into an EV and equipped it with a bunch of cool retro-meets-modern elements.

The RN22e isn’t as flashy as the N Vision 74, but it’s still pretty sleek. It utilizes the same aerodynamic streamliner design as the Ioniq 6 that the company just introduced last week, which allows for more efficient performance. According to Hyundai, the RN22e has a 77.4kWh battery with 400 or 800V fast multi-charging capability, as well as a maximum speed of over 250kph (155mph). And if you want to indulge in what Hyundai describes as an “emotional driving experience,” you can take advantage of the RN22e’s N Sound Plus feature that generates fake engine sounds as you drive.

Hyundai has been pushing out some impressive concept cars lately, like this badass EV restomod. We don’t know if any of these concepts will ever make it out of the factory door, but at least we do know that Hyundai N’s releasing its first EV, the Ioniq 5 N, in 2023.

Chris Evans still misses his iPhone 6S and its home button

Chris Evans in character as Lloyd Hansen in Netflix’s The Gray Man — *Chris Evans as Lloyd Hansen in* The Gray Man | Image: Paul Abell/Netflix

Fans of buttons can count on Captain America for support, as Chris Evans notes that even after a few weeks with a newer phone, he still prefers his old iPhone 6S and its button. The topic came up in an interview with Collider (via iMore) while doing a press tour for Netflix’s $200 million+, Russo brothers-directed spy flick The Gray Man, which he stars in along with Ryan Gosling.

Evans is far from the only person still stuck on the missing button (he and Donald Trump agree on at least one thing), which Apple swapped for a solid circle with taptic engine feedback on the iPhone 7, and eventually dropped entirely from the iPhone X onward. Evans’ other big complaint is that it’s just too heavy. Like many people who struggle with bulkier phones, the actor is uncomfortably bracing the phone with his pinky finger, and no, the recently-refreshed iPhone SE (2022) just won’t do as a replacement.

Collider reports that Evans confirmed his new phone is an iPhone 12, which the cameras show is definitely a Pro model, but not the iPhone 13 Pro we guessed it would be from the original Instagram post. The interview didn’t mention where he picked up the older model, which Apple dropped from its lineup last fall but is still readily available from other retailers and carrier stores.

It doesn’t look like Apple’s going to bring back the beloved button. Some iPhone users might be better off using AssistiveTouch to add a software-based virtual home button that you can put anywhere on your screen, and that’s not the only accessibility setting on the iPhone that could improve your mobile experience. Another option is to lean all the way in on loving iOS gesture control, but the only thing I can think of that would address the phone’s weight is if Apple adjusts its approach to the iPhone mini.

Elon Musk says we should see Steam running on Teslas soon

Tesla’s apparently looking to expand its collection of in-car games... by adding Steam. In a reply to a tweet, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company’s “making progress with Steam integration” and that we can expect a demo “probably next month.”

Tesla already offers a number of games through the built-in Tesla Arcade, like Cuphead and Sonic the Hedgehog 1, but adding Steam’s digital storefront could give users access to a whole lot more. We still don’t know if the integration will go so far as to allow users to make purchases on Steam while sitting in their cars, or if there will be any games Teslas can’t support.

We’re making progress with Steam integration. Demo probably next month.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 15, 2022

Musk still hasn’t followed through on promises to bring Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher to newer Model S and X vehicles, which come outfitted with an AMD Ryzen processor and a discrete AMD RDNA 2 GPU. But a potential Steam integration could be an indication that Tesla’s inching closer to its goal.

In February, Musk tweeted that the company is “working through the general case of making Steam games work on a Tesla vs specific titles.” This means Musk is likely looking to make high-end titles available through a Steam integration, rather than as individual games.

Tesla came under fire last year after flip-flopping on its policies, first allowing drivers to play games only while in park, and then letting drivers play games when the vehicle is in motion by bypassing a safety confirmation. After facing criticism from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla walked back on this change and once again pulled the plug on gameplay while driving.

Lawmakers push FTC to clean up the VPN industry

Last week, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrote a letter urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address deceptive practices in the Virtual Private Network (VPN) industry. Eshoo and Wyden’s letter comes as people look to hide their digital footprint following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

A VPN allows a user to establish an encrypted connection between their device and a private server, making it harder for third parties to access their online activity. With abortion becoming illegal or restricted in several states, more people are looking to conceal their messages and search history, as police can use this information to prosecute someone seeking the procedure.

In their letter, Eshoo and Wyden ask the FTC to clamp down on VPN providers that engage in deceptive advertising, or make false assertions about the range of their service’s privacy. The lawmakers cite research from Consumer Reports that indicate 75 percent of the most popular VPNs “misrepresented their products” or made misleading claims that could give “abortion-seekers a false sense of security.” Eshoo and Wyden also call attention to reports accusing various VPN services of misusing user data, as well as “a lack of practical tools or independent research to audit VPN providers’ security claims.”

“With abortion illegal or soon to be illegal in 13 states and severely restricted in many more, these abusive and exploitative data practices are simply unacceptable,” the letter reads. “We urge the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take immediate action... to curtail abusive and deceptive data practices in companies providing VPN services to protect internet users seeking abortions.” Eshoo and Wyden also ask that the FTC develop a brochure that informs anyone seeking an abortion about online privacy, as well as outlines the risks and benefits of using a VPN.

Earlier this month, the FTC reaffirmed that it will take action against companies that illegally share health, location, and other sensitive data, while President Joe Biden signed an executive order to protect patient privacy. Other entities have also taken action in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, with Google promising to auto-delete location data associated with visits to abortion clinics.

Google’s now solely relying on developers to provide accurate app data collection information

Earlier this year, the Google Play Store launched a new data privacy section that relies on developers to disclose the information their apps collect. But as pointed out by Esper senior editor Mishaal Rahman (via Ars Technica), this may mean that Google will no longer display a verified list of permissions it automatically gathers from each app, giving developers full control over what they choose (or don’t choose) to disclose to users.

When Google first announced the new data privacy section last year, the company made it clear that its system would rely on information provided by developers. On a support page, Google states that developers have until July 20th to fill out a data privacy form for their apps, noting developers “alone” must make “complete and accurate declarations” for their apps.

“Google Play reviews apps across all policy requirements; however we cannot make determinations on behalf of the developers of how they handle user data,” Google explains. “Only you possess all the information required to complete the Data safety form.” Google says it will take “appropriate action” if it finds any discrepancies between developers’ reported information and the app itself.

It’s worth noting that the Apple App Store has a similar policy in place for its privacy “nutrition” labels, and also requires developers to submit “self-reported summaries” about their apps’ privacy practices. Just like Google’s doing now, Apple puts its trust in developers to provide truthful information about the data their apps collect, which a report from The Washington Post found is often “misleading or flat-out inaccurate.”

While Google doesn’t indicate any plans to replace the automatically-generated app permissions with the data privacy section, it looks like Google quietly swapped it out. In a thread on Twitter, Rahman shows screenshots comparing one app listing with the old “Permissions” section, and another that has just “Data safety.” I noticed the same after comparing an archived version of TikTok’s Google Play Store listing from 2021 with the one that’s available right now.

With the launch of the Data Safety section on Google Play, which will be mandatory for all apps in 1 week, it seems the app permissions list is going away in both the mobile app and the web.
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) July 13, 2022

As Rahman points out, Google is storing app permissions in the Play store, but it’s just not visible from the front end. He suggests downloading the open-source Play Store alternative, called Aurora, which still displays permissions before you download an app.

That said, it would make a lot more sense for Google to display both app permissions and the data privacy section. This way, users could compare both to confirm that the developer-reported permissions are consistent with Google’s findings. The Verge reached out to Google to see if the company plans on reinstating the app permissions section, but didn’t immediately hear back.

Arlo Go 2 or Eufy 4G Starlight: which is the best cellular security camera?

We put these two self-sufficient smart home security cameras to the test

The Arlo Go 2 ($249) and the Eufy 4G Starlight ($229) are two new 4G LTE smart security cameras that stream or send footage over a cellular data connection. They’re among the few solutions for monitoring places where Wi-Fi may be unreliable or unavailable: an off-grid cabin in the woods; the far end of your backyard; a construction site; or a storage facility.

They can also be used to keep an eye on your RV, camper van, or tent site when you’re camping or watch over your boat while docked. A cellular security camera is also a good option if you’d like a camera at your property that you know will stay up even if the Wi-Fi and power are down. Or perhaps you travel a lot and want to surveil your Airbnb or hotel room when you’re out and about and not rely on public Wi-Fi.

Overpriced trail cams used to be the only option for a truly wireless camera setup like this, and it’s exciting to see more options tailored to security rather than just spotting animals (although they still do a great job of that). The Arlo and Eufy models look and work the same way their company’s standard outdoor smart home security cameras do — just with bigger batteries and a cellular radio on board. This means they don’t need a Wi-Fi connection to record or stream video, but you will need to pay for cellular data to use the camera, which can be an expensive add-on.

I put these two LTE-connected cameras to the test in different locations: the Eufy at my in-laws’ off-grid cabin in Alaska and the Arlo at the bottom of my garden in South Carolina, where there’s not a whiff of Wi-Fi to be had. Both did what they said on the box, running reliably and impressively on only one to two bars of cellular service. But there are some critical differences between the two.

Most notably, the Eufy doesn’t need a cloud subscription to view or save recorded video, while the Arlo does. The Eufy uses edge computing to process the data entirely on the camera; all the footage lives on the camera’s 8GB of local storage. When you view video in the app, you are connecting directly to the camera. But if you run out of data or your camera is destroyed, you won’t have access to any footage.

In contrast, the Arlo stores its recordings in the cloud, and you’ll need to pay for its Arlo Secure service ($3 a month) to view motion-activated recordings in the Arlo app. (There’s the option of a microSD card, but that can only be accessed locally.) The Arlo is the second-gen of the Arlo Go, and it adds Wi-Fi, which the Eufy doesn’t have, plus it supports a wider range of smart alerts.

Eufy 4G Starlight versus Arlo Go 2: specs and setup

*The Eufy 4G Starlight is a white camera with gray accents.*

*The Arlo Go 2 is all-white, but you can buy a black housing for the camera.*

The cameras both follow the design language of their respective non-cellular smart security cameras, with sleek white oblong bodies and stark black faces. The Arlo has the option of a black casing, which would be more discreet in an outdoor setting. Eufy says it has plans to sell a camouflage skin.

Both cameras are fully weatherproof: the Eufy Starlight is rated to IP67, and the Arlo Go 2 is slightly lower at IP65. This means the Eufy could survive underwater for a bit and against higher pressure water jets, but both will stand up to heavy rain and thunderstorms. Both also work down to negative 4 degrees Fahrenheit; the Arlo Go 2 is rated for up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit and the Starlight for a blistering 131 degrees Fahrenheit.

The standard security camera features are offered on both: two-way audio; spotlights and sirens to scare away any potential trouble; and color night vision. (The Eufy has a starlight sensor for improved night vision in low light, as the name indicates, while the Arlo does not). Both also have built-in GPS to help you locate the camera should you forget where you put it.

*I tested the Arlo Go 2 at the farthest end of my yard in South Carolina, attached to a tree house.*

The Arlo can record and livestream in up to 1080p HD video, whereas Eufy is capable of 2K. The Arlo has 12x digital zoom for getting a better look at any action compared to Eufy’s 4x, but with the higher resolution of the Eufy, this difference isn’t as large in practice as on paper. The Eufy is slightly smaller and lighter, but they both have the same massive 13,000mAh battery capacity, and both have optional solar panels to keep the batteries topped up.

The Arlo also includes a Wi-Fi radio, meaning it can double as a standard security camera if and when you have access to Wi-Fi and don’t want to pay for cellular data. This is also handy as a fail-safe option in a home security camera setup, meaning you’ll still have at least one camera you can access remotely in a Wi-Fi or power outage. The Eufy only works on cellular.

Setup for both cameras was straightforward. It’s exactly like installing any of their Wi-Fi counterparts, just with the extra step of inserting a SIM card. However, neither of them works with their respective brand’s hub (which also means no HomeKit compatibility for either). They do both work with Amazon Alexa and Google Home ecosystems, and you can livestream footage to a smart display. Arlo also works with IFTTT.

*I installed the Eufy 4G Starlight camera on a small outbuilding at my in-laws’ cabin in Alaska.*

You’ll need a data SIM card and a data plan to get the cameras up and running on a cellular network. Arlo offers the option of buying the camera direct from compatible carriers through its website. It works with Verizon ($20 / month for “unlimited” 15GB), US Cellular ($15 / month for 1GB data), or T-Mobile ($20 / month for 5GB). If you go this route, the camera will come with a SIM card, and you can also choose to spread the cost of the device out over two to three years. The Arlo also works with European carriers.

Eufy says it includes an IoT-specific Eiotclub SIM with its camera (in my testing, I used an AT&T SIM). This is a virtual operator that uses the AT&T and T-Mobile networks and offers a $10 / month plan with 2GB of data. You can also use an AT&T SIM; a tablet / hotspot plan starts at $25 monthly for 20GB. Eufy recommends the prepaid $35 for 15GB AT&T data plan. (You can’t use a T-Mobile SIM card in the Starlight cam, even though it supports T-Mobile’s 4G bands.) The Eufy also works with these carriers in the UK. For any of these plans for either camera, you might get a discount down to as low as $5 if you’re an existing customer of the carrier.

Eufy says the Starlight will use 60MB of cellular data to stream five minutes of live, 2K video or roughly 500MB / month if you access the live view 10 times daily for 10 seconds each and record 25 events for 10 seconds each. Arlo says the Go 2 will use between 700MB to 2GB monthly depending on the number of motion triggers and length of recordings. The large difference here is because the Arlo uploads automatically to the cloud, whereas the Eufy only uses data when you access the camera.

Eufy 4G Starlight versus Arlo Go 2: performance and features

The Eufy 4G Starlight captures a young bull moose at a cabin in Alaska.

The Arlo Go 2’s daytime footage from the bottom of the garden in South Carolina.

The key feature of any security camera is video quality. The Eufy edges the Arlo here, delivering a clearer, crisper image in daylight, with more detail in the background than the Arlo, which loses some clarity further out. The Eufy did a great job catching a young bull moose in all his glory at the Alaska cabin, and the Arlo showed my 70-pound dog prowling around the backyard clearly, although the chicken coop behind him was slightly blown out.

Both cameras have color night vision, and the Eufy has starlight night vision, using a starlight sensor to pick up more detail in the darkness (which can include color). The Arlo relies on activating the spotlight for any color night vision. The Eufy can also be set to turn on the spotlight at night based on motion, and both offer infrared black and white night vision.

Unless you need to see what color T-shirt an intruder has on, I find the infrared night vision, which both cameras have, to be better for catching detail at night. In my testing, both cameras performed fine at night in the two comparable modes, with the Eufy being better at capturing more detail and decent distance, aided by its starlight sensor. I did have trouble testing the Eufy’s starlight-only night vision option; in this mode (with no infrared LEDs or spotlight), the picture was very dark and not at all clear. However, there is no complete darkness in Alaska in summer, and in my previous experience with starlight night vision, it worked best in true darkness.

*Arlo Go 2 nighttime footage with spotlight (triggered by a raccoon that you can just make out).*

*Arlo Go 2 infrared nighttime footage, which is much clearer than the spotlight footage.*

Both record in 1080p HD, with the Eufy capable of going up to 2K, but you can opt for lower in the app. If you’re on a limited data plan, you might want to stick with 1080p. Arlo has a more impressive digital zoom at 12 times, but it gets very pixelated very quickly, making that less useful than on Arlo’s 4K Wi-Fi cameras. Arlo has a slightly wider field of view at 130 degrees compared to Eufy’s 120, but this difference isn’t very noticeable in practice.

The Arlo has much better two-way audio, using full-duplex audio, which is like having a phone conversation, whereas the Eufy is only half-duplex, which is like using a walkie-talkie. This can be frustrating if you’re trying to have a conversation through the camera. Both had loud and clear audio while talking or listening.

Both cameras suffered from a common problem with motion-activated, battery-powered cameras; they picked up motion late. The battery has to wake up the camera once the motion sensor is triggered. This meant a lot of my test videos were of the back of my head as I walked away.

*The Eufy 4G Starlight’s spotlight-enhanced night vision is clearer than the Arlo’s.*

But they both delivered alerts of motion promptly, with rich notifications (I tested with iOS) that included a snapshot. On the Arlo, you can long-press the notification and see a preview of the recording as well as access a shortcut to activate the siren or call 911. Eufy doesn’t offer this. But you only get these features if you pay for the Arlo Secure subscription (for $3 a month with a three-month trial when you buy the camera).

With an Arlo Secure subscription, you can tailor your alerts to tell you only about people, animals, and / or vehicles rather than all motion. You can also add activity zones to focus the camera on specific areas. Eufy has people detection and activity zones for free but no animal or vehicle alerts. Arlo Secure also adds a smart e911 feature (US-only) so that if you are calling from another location, you’ll be connected to emergency dispatch at your camera’s location — not yours. (You can only have one address per subscription, so if you set up the LTE camera somewhere other than your home, you’ll need to pay for a second Arlo Secure subscription for this feature.)

Eufy doesn’t offer any cloud storage service for the Starlight, and it doesn’t charge any fees for access to its features. Instead, the app accesses footage directly from the camera. Eufy says its 8GB local storage can store up to six months of events (based on 15 “movement events” per day with each “event” lasting 15 seconds). I tested the camera for a month, and all the videos were still viewable in the app. I was also impressed with the speed of notifications for the camera and the ease of pulling up the live view; there was little to no lag.

Arlo Secure lets you store up to 30 days’ worth of videos in the cloud. Arlo uses AES encryption to secure recordings in transit to and from the Arlo camera, and the app requires two-factor authentication. The Go 2 does have a slot for a microSD card for local storage, so you can record videos without paying for Arlo Secure. But that footage can only be viewed by inserting the SD card into a computer, not in the Arlo app, meaning you have to physically be at the camera to see any footage it’s captured.

The disadvantage of no option of any cloud storage is that if the Eufy camera were destroyed to the point it could no longer receive an LTE connection, you wouldn’t be able to view any previous footage unless you had already manually downloaded it to your phone’s camera roll from the Eufy app. At one point during testing, all the clips disappeared from the Eufy app because the preinstalled SIM had run out of data. When I topped up the data and the Starlight camera reconnected to the internet, they reappeared.

*I tested the Eufy camera with its compatible solar panel charger, and it kept the camera charged above 90 percent during one week of testing.*

Battery life was about the same. Both cameras have 13,000mAh batteries on board. In three weeks of use, the Eufy was at 65 percent — about 11 percent a week and on track for two-ish months. Eufy estimates it will last three months, but the camera was in a poor service area, which the app warned would reduce battery life. In my one week of testing, the Arlo was at 89 percent, also 11 percent a week. Arlo claims its camera has four months of battery life on 4G, but that didn’t hold up in my tests.

The Arlo has a removable battery, so you can have a spare on hand (extras cost $59.99). But, if you are looking at installing a cellular camera somewhere remote, you will want to pair it with a solar panel to keep it charged. Both companies sell compatible ones for $59.99. (The Eufy is often on sale in a bundle for $249.99).

I tested the Eufy solar panel, which was simple to install and comes with a weatherproof connector for the USB-C charging port, and it was able to keep the camera close to 100 percent. The Eufy camera charges using a USB-C cable, whereas the Arlo uses the proprietary magnetic cable that its higher-end cameras use. You can buy an outdoor charging cable and power adaptor for the Arlo for $49.99, but it uses the same connection as the solar panel, so you can’t use both at once.

For a camera you may leave out in the woods, some anti-theft features are important. Both have built-in GPS to track the camera. The Eufy also has an Anti-Theft Detection Mode that will sound the alarm if the camera is moved, although that’s just going to give the thief a headache. Arlo has a Theft Replacement Program that will replace the camera if it’s stolen as long as you bought the camera new, have an Arlo Secure plan, and file a police report.

*Arlo’s app experience is smoother than Eufy’s, which has a few too many advertisements and slightly confusing settings menus.*

Another important point of comparison is the apps. Here, Arlo’s experience edges Eufy’s, primarily because the Eufy app has one too many pop-up ads, plus a whole tab devoted to selling you more products. The Arlo experience is much cleaner. However, both work fine for viewing a livestream from the camera or recorded video. They both pull up the feed promptly after tapping on a notification, with the Eufy being slightly faster — as it doesn’t need to go through the cloud. Both also have a useful Event (Eufy) / Library (Arlo) view where you can filter recordings by the type of motion and the date of the recording.

Both apps also have good options for fine-tuning motion detection and event recording lengths, plus options for tweaking settings to save battery life. An option on both cameras lets you schedule it to turn on or off at a set time or based on geo-locating your phone.

Eufy 4G Starlight versus Arlo Go 2: which should you buy?

*The Eufy 4G Starlight is a good choice if you want to avoid monthly cloud storage fees.*

These are both very good cameras, and the freedom from hanging on to a weak Wi-Fi connection was liberating. I loved finally being able to get a reliable digital eye on the chicken coop at the bottom of my garden so I could watch out for the many things that want to eat my chickens. My in-laws were very impressed with the quality of the Eufy camera, especially compared to the cellular trail cam they use to keep tabs on their cabin, which has a narrow field of view and low resolution. If you have a need for a non-Wi-Fi-dependent security camera, either of these cameras would be an excellent choice.

The Eufy 4G Starlight is cheaper to buy and run (cellular data plans aside). There is also no monthly fee for cloud storage, smart alerts, or activity zones — Arlo charges $3 a month for these. The Eufy also has a higher video quality, better night vision, local storage, and on-device processing. So, you will want this camera if you are leery about storing your video on someone else’s server. But it comes with the tradeoff that if the camera is destroyed or loses its data connection, you can’t access any footage you haven’t manually downloaded. If that’s a scenario that worries you — say you’re monitoring a cabin in an area with a wildfire risk — the Eufy’s local-only storage may give you pause.

*The Arlo Go 2 has more features than the Eufy, but you will pay more money.*

The Wi-Fi radio in the Arlo also gives you more flexibility than the Eufy’s cellular-only option and means you can use LTE as a fallback. Arlo’s smart alerts and interactive notifications provide a better monitoring experience with fewer false alerts to check, and e911 support could be crucial depending on where you plan to use the camera. Arlo’s digital zoom is also better, and its two-way audio is much easier to use.

Options outside of Eufy and Arlo are limited. Reolink has a couple of cellular models, including one that pans and tilts. But I haven’t tested any Reolink cameras, whereas I’ve spent a few years testing both Arlo and Eufy’s cameras and ecosystems and am comfortable recommending both.

If you are already invested in either camera security ecosystem, I would definitely go with the road already traveled. Bear in mind you may need to get a second Arlo Secure subscription for the Go 2 if you’re putting it in a different location. If you aren’t adding this to an existing system and aren’t put off by the subscription plan or cloud storage, the Arlo Go 2 is an excellent choice. If those are deal-breakers for you, the Eufy 4G Starlight will fit the bill very well — just remember to keep that cellular data topped up.

Photography by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

samedi 16 juillet 2022

Today I learned Amazon will recycle small electronics for free

If you have a flip phone that you haven’t used in over a decade, or maybe even a broken tablet, Amazon will pay for a shipping label that you can use to send it in to get recycled. Apparently, this recycling program has been a thing for a while now, but several of us at The Verge never even knew about it until we saw this tweet from journalist Dave Zatz, and thought it might be a good idea to spread the word.

Amazon’s recycling program lets you ship your small electronics for free from any UPS dropoff point (you just have to provide the packaging). Amazon then transfers the devices it receives to a licensed recycling facility, and notes that it will remove or destroy any “identifying marks or personal information” during the process. Amazon still recommends performing a factory reset on your device (if it still works) before sending it in, however.

According to Amazon spokesperson Saige Kolpack, the company’s recycling program isn’t new — it’s actually been around “for years” and Amazon just relaunched a new page in April to make it easier for customers to find. It isn’t to be confused with Amazon’s trade-in program, which lets you send in Amazon devices, cellphones, video games, and other electronics in exchange for an Amazon gift card. You don’t get anything in return for sending in devices to be recycled, other than the personal satisfaction that you’re doing a small part in helping the environment.

*A list of the devices you can recycle.*

The program is limited to only small electronics. You can find a list of all accepted devices if you click through to Amazon’s recycling page (which is still fully functional, despite looking like something you’d find on the web in 2005). This includes e-readers, tablets, keyboards, mice, video game consoles, device covers, cellphones, fitness trackers, smart home devices, and more. It pretty much accepts any small device you can fit into a small box or envelope — broken or not — so long as they don’t have “swollen or leaking batteries.”

I’m already eyeing up a few devices around my house to recycle for free — like that mini speaker I thought at the time would be a great purchase from Dollar General (don't judge). And since I already have a pile of shipping boxes from my previous online purchases, I can double up and recycle that plus the device.

But if you're not a cardboard box hoarder and don’t want to pay for your own shipping material, it’s worth noting you can always bring your old, smaller electronics to your local Best Buy. Here, you can drop off and recycle up to three items per household per day for free (or for a $29.99 fee for TVs and monitors). Best Buy will even haul away your old appliances for $39.99 if you order a replacement through the retailer. Alternatively, you can also pay Best Buy $199 to come to your house to take away up to two large items (like a TV or washer) without having to order a new one, in addition to an unlimited number of small electronics.

The delay to the online safety bill won’t make it any easier to please everyone

The Conservatives have kicked the sprawling document, which aimed for a political Goldilocks zone and ended up a hot mess, firmly down the road

The Goldilocks theory of policy is simple enough. If Mummy Bear says your latest government bill is too hot, and Daddy Bear says your latest government bill is too cold, then you can tuck in knowing that the actual temperature is just right.

Unfortunately, the Goldilocks theory sometimes fails. You learn that what you actually have in front of you is less a perfectly heated bowl of porridge and more a roast chicken you popped in the oven still frozen: frosty on the inside, burnt on the outside, and harmful to your health if you try to eat it.

How to change your Apple ID password

Your Apple ID is your key to using the integrated services of Apple’s ecosystem, including the App Store, iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, and Apple Music. You also need one to set up any new Apple device. As with any password, if you think it may have been compromised, you should change it immediately. It’s also a good idea to change it every few months to help keep it extra secure.

When you do choose a new password, you’ll need to think of one that’s at least eight characters long and uses at least one number, one uppercase letter, and one lowercase letter. You also can’t reuse a password from the last year.

Here are the steps you’ll need to take to change your Apple ID password. Bear in mind that these will only work if you know your current password. If you’ve forgotten it entirely, you will need to go through Apple’s reset password process, which you can initiate from any of your Apple devices.

On your iOS device

On your iPad, iPhone, or Apple Watch, go to Settings, tap on your name at the top, and choose Password & Security.
Choose Change Password.
You’ll be prompted to enter your device passcode and then enter a new password and confirm it.
Tap Change.
Back at the main Settings screen, sign in with your new password to access Apple features and services.

Apple’s System Preferences window for Apple ID — *Use Apple’s System Preferences window to change your password on your Mac.*

On your Mac

Click on the Apple menu in the top left-hand corner, choose System Preferences, and then click the Apple ID tile.
Click on Password & Security.
Click on Change Password.
Enter the password you use to unlock your Mac computer.
Enter your new password and verify it.
Click on Change.

*You can also change your password on Apple’s website.*

On the web

Go to appleid.apple.com.
Click on Sign In in the top menu bar and sign in to your Apple ID account.
Select Sign-In and Security in the side menu.
Select Password.
Enter your current password, and then enter a new password and confirm it.
You can also choose to sign out of all Apple devices and websites here by selecting the checkbox.
Click Change Password.

Democratic lawmakers ask federal agencies to crack down on crypto mining

US-CRYPTOCURRENCY-CLIMATE-EMPLOYMENT-CHINA — Workers install a new row of Bitcoin mining machines at the Whinstone US Bitcoin mining facility in Rockdale, Texas, on October 9, 2021. | Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP /AFP via Getty Images

On Friday, Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to two federal regulators, urging them to take action on the explosion of Bitcoin mining in the US.

Sent to the heads of the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy, the letter was spurred by preliminary investigation from lawmakers, which found that just a handful of cryptominers use an enormous amount of energy. In response, the lawmakers ask the agencies to require that crypto-mining companies share data on their energy use and emissions.

Seven of the biggest crypto-mining companies in the US have the collective capacity to use over 1 gigawatt of electricity, according to the letter. That’s the equivalent of two standard coal plants or, as the letter puts it, almost enough to power all the residences in Houston. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, since there are no federal measures in place to capture a complete picture of the environmental impact of the recent boom in US crypto-mining.

Crypto-mining has exploded in the US over the past year, driven in part by China’s 2021 crackdown on the practice in. The US is the biggest hub globally for mining Bitcoin, typically running data centers around-the-clock to mine the currency. These data centers are filled with specialized hardware racing to solve complex equations in order to verify transactions, earning Bitcoin in return. All that computing power gobbles up vast amounts of electricity — and produces pollution as a result.

Moving from China to the US has likely made the Bitcoin network even dirtier, with abundant hydropower in China replaced by coal and gas-derived electricity from the US grid.

All this has policymakers worried about what impact crypto mining will have on the country’s climate change goals, as well as on electricity bills. The practice has already inflated electricity prices in New York, for instance. In an extreme example, residents in Plattsburgh, NY saw their utility bills rise by up to $300 in the winter of 2018 after Bitcoin miners set up shop nearby.

Last month, New York State passed a bill imposing a two-year moratorium on new permits for fossil fuel power plants used to mine energy-intensive currencies. The bill has not yet been signed into law, but the state has also taken regulatory actions to discourage mining. In June, New York also denied a renewed air permit to an embattled power plant, the Greenidge Generating Station on the grounds that its use for Bitcoin-mining “would be inconsistent with the statewide greenhouse gas emission limits.”

Greenidge was one of the companies Warren and other Democratic lawmakers sent queries to back in January, demanding information on their energy use and emissions. Greenidge was responsible for 273,326 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over a year, equivalent to the tailpipe emissions from almost 60,000 cars, according to the new letter released today.

Still, the impact of crypto-mining in the US is way bigger than what the letter details. For starters, “None of the companies provided full and complete information in response to our questions,” the lawmakers wrote.

There are other clues as to how much energy crypto mining companies are actually gobbling up across the nation. In Texas, another hot spot for Bitcoin mining in the US, the crypto mining industry collectively freed up about 1 gigawatt of energy after temporarily powering down this week. The companies ramped down operations in response to an appeal from the state’s grid operator to conserve energy as a searing heatwave threatened to overwhelm the grid.

That hunger for energy is growing fast. “There are over 27 gigawatts of crypto load that is working on interconnecting over the next four years,” a spokesperson for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) told The Verge in an email this week (the spokesperson declined to be named). That’s an impossibly large load to add to the grid in such a short time frame, experts tell The Verge.

“The results of our investigation, which gathered data from just seven companies, are disturbing, with this limited data alone revealing that cryptominers are large energy users that account for a significant – and rapidly growing – amount of carbon emissions,” the letter to the EPA and Department of Energy says. It was signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and and Ed Markey (D-MA), and Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Jared Huffman (D-CA).

Energy use from US cryptomining firms is contributing to rising utility bills

An investigation revealed that companies use enough energy to power Houston, and contribute to growing carbon emissions

The largest US cryptomining companies have the capacity to use as much electricity as nearly every home in Houston, Texas; energy use that is contributing to rising utility bills, according to an investigation by Democratic lawmakers.

Cryptomining is a highly energy intensive process involving the use of specialized computers running constantly to solve complex math problems in order to create new virtual coins.

‘Hi-tech’, underwhelming: Amazon’s IRL clothing store misses the point of shopping

Customers to the online retailer’s first in-person location were disappointed by the limited selection and algorithmic picks

Outside Amazon’s first in-person clothing store in California, Diemmi Le, 22, summed up her experience: “You don’t have to talk to anybody.”

For years, Amazon tried – and ultimately failed – to translate its online book business into successful brick and mortar bookstores. Dozens of stores were shuttered this spring. Now, the online shopping giant is trying again, this time attempting to reinvent the mall clothing store.

vendredi 15 juillet 2022

Elon Musk files motion against Twitter’s bid to fast-track trial

Lawyers for the billionaire oppose company’s request that the trial begin in September

Elon Musk has filed a motion opposing Twitter’s request to fast-track a trial over his plan to terminate his $44bn deal for the social media company.

Musk’s lawyers, in papers filed with the Delaware Chancery court on Friday, said Twitter’s “unjustifiable request” to rush the merger case to trial in two months should be rejected.

Elon Musk wants Twitter trial to wait until February 2023

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images

Elon Musk’s legal team has responded to Twitter’s lawsuit against him, saying that the company is demanding an unreasonably fast trial. In response, Musk’s team asks that the case not be heard until next year, according to Bloomberg.

Twitter has pushed for the trial to take place in mid-September, justifying the request to expedite things given that Musk and Twitter’s merger agreement has an October 24th “presumptive drop-dead date.” However, Musk’s team is asking that the trial not be held until February 13th, 2023 trial at the earliest, Bloomberg reports.

Twitter declined to comment on the matter, and pointed to its initial complaint filed Tuesday.

Twitter sued Musk earlier this week after he officially tried to bail on his $44 billion agreement to buy the company. Nearly immediately after he said he intended to pull the plug, Twitter board chairman Bret Taylor said the company would be taking Musk to court, and the company filed its lawsuit on Tuesday. Musk hadn’t responded via the court until Friday, though on Tuesday, he did tweet.

Musk’s primary assertion for wanting to terminate the merger is that Twitter has not given him the data to “‘make an independent assessment of the prevalence of fake or spam accounts on Twitter’s platform,” his legal team wrote last week. His team again invoked the bots issue in Friday’s filing. According to The Wall Street Journal, they said that “the core dispute over false and spam accounts is fundamental to Twitter’s value. It is also extremely fact and expert intensive, requiring substantial time for discovery.”

There will be a 90-minute hearing next week on July 19th at 11AM ET to decide when the trial will take place, according to Bloomberg and Reuters.

Amazon to create more than 4,000 jobs in UK

US company says recruitment drive will take permanent workforce in Britain to 75,000

Amazon is creating more than 4,000 permanent jobs across the UK this year, the company has announced.

It said the recruitment drive would bring its permanent workforce in the UK to 75,000, having created 40,000 new jobs in the past three years.

Watch this impressive AR demo ‘reset’ a room using latest Apple tech

*Gone with a simple swipe.* | Image: Russ Maschmeyer

What if you could use the augmented reality features of a LiDAR-equipped iPhone to see how a room might look with all its furniture removed? That’s the idea behind a new AR prototype shown off by Shopify’s Russ Maschmeyer on Twitter. The demo, which he refers to as a “reset button” for a room, puts Ikea’s virtual design tool to shame. But it’s just an internal experiment for now that offers an interesting peek at the kinds of experiences that could be possible with Apple’s latest AR APIs.

In a video, Maschmeyer shows how the prototype is able to seamlessly erase a room’s contents, allowing the iPhone to be used to peer around the empty space in AR. In subsequent tweets, Maschmeyer explains how the technology might one day be useful for e-commerce sites, allowing them to show customers how new furniture could look at home without existing furniture getting in the way.

Lots of interest in this “reset button” for your room we built @Shopify that uses @apple’s new #RoomPlan API. Here’s how we built it… 1/12 pic.twitter.com/YdNP1vebVW
— Russ Maschmeyer (@StrangeNative) July 13, 2022

The prototype is built with Apple’s RoomPlan API, a tool for developers that the company detailed at WWDC this year. It’s designed to let an iPhone or iPad equipped with a LiDAR sensor scan a room, understand its geometry and furniture, and build a 3D model that app developers can use however they want.

Maschmeyer’s thread is an interesting look at what Apple’s technology is like to use in practice. For example, he explains how the model generated from the scan is completely untextured, so Shopify’s prototype needs to gather texture data from the phone’s camera, and then work out how to extend those textures behind the furniture that might currently be obscuring parts of the walls and floors. It then overlays the resulting 3D model onto the real room.

We can now use inpainting techniques to fill in the redacted texture. We were pleasantly surprised by the results produced by off-the-shelf tools like Photoshop and https://t.co/vMbvV0Fa92. [11/12] pic.twitter.com/jGOdZ7it0b
— Russ Maschmeyer (@StrangeNative) July 13, 2022

The results, it has to be said, are a lot more impressive than what I experienced when I tried out a similar virtual design tool from Ikea. Although Ikea’s app is also able to erase furniture from a room, it’s only able to present the results as a 2D image. In contrast, Shopify’s prototype seems to allow you to continue looking around the (now empty) room in augmented reality. But, in fairness to Ikea, its approach doesn’t require a LiDAR-equipped iPhone (any iPhone will do). It’s also a real piece of technology that people can download and use in their own homes, rather than an internal tech demo.

Apple has been showing off its AR tools at developer conference for years, but I think it’s fair to say that we’ve yet to see a killer app for the technology emerge (I don’t count Pokémon Go because of how so many people play without the AR mode enabled). But prototypes like these make me hopeful that interesting uses for the technology could be just around the corner. Like, maybe January when Apple’s AR / VR headset is rumored for release.

Twitter sues Elon Musk over bid to exit $44bn takeover deal

Company seeks to force completion of sale, saying billionaire ‘refuses to honor his obligations’

Twitter sued Elon Musk on Tuesday to force him to complete his $44bn takeover of the social media giant after he announced on Friday he would withdraw his bid.

“Musk’s exit strategy is a model of hypocrisy,” the lawsuit said, accusing the billionaire of making “bad faith” arguments against Twitter and carrying out “public and misleading attacks” on the company.

‘They were taking us for a ride’: how Uber used investor cash to seduce drivers

Firm faces ongoing battles over workers’ rights and unpaid waiting times after drawing in drivers with huge subsidies

In the middle of the national rail strike last month when demand for cabs was sky-high, a group of Uber drivers decided they, too, would strike for 24 hours. A few hundred of them marched in protest to Uber’s London office in Aldgate Tower, complaining of poverty pay and arbitrary management by algorithm.

It was a typical day for Abdurzak Hadi, an Uber driver, although he has to pinch himself to believe where he has ended up. The 44-year-old father of three arrived in England on his own in 1992 as a teenage refugee, having fled Somalia’s brutal civil war. When he was old enough, he became a minicab driver. Then he signed up with Uber in 2014.