dimanche 28 août 2022

The Verge staff talk about their favorite backpacks and other bags

man crossing street with messenger bag — Photo: Mission Workshop

In August 2021, we asked the staff of The Verge to tell us about their go-to laptop bags. Now, a year later, some are still using the same bags — but not all.

It’s surprising how attached you can get to a bag — especially the bag that you use to carry your laptop, your sweater, your lunch, your notebook, your exercise shoes, your kids’ diapers, or any of the other stuff you need. Whether you’re heading to the office, visiting a friend, hanging in a coffee shop, going on a hike, or just sitting outdoors to read or work, having a bag that can accommodate everything on your “gotta have this” list can help you avoid a lot of aggravation.

So, here’s this year’s staff picks — some old, some new. Most of the staff wrote about their backpacks, but toward the end, we’ve added a few different types of bags as well.

Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag

I got a large Timbuk2 messenger bag in 2015 — just in time to haul it around a CES show floor — after wearing out a few smaller options from fancier brands. (According to one company’s associate, in hitherto-undiscovered ways; I am very hard on my accessories.) It’s comfortable, low-profile, fairly affordable, and has a big main compartment with as many little sub-pockets as I could ever want. The only downsides are a) I feel sort of basic when a co-worker shows off some gorgeous Peak Design product and b) I like it so much that I feel like I must have struck an unwitting faustian bargain with a trickster god. Unfortunately, it looks like Timbuk2 doesn’t offer the customization options I got anymore, so maybe the catch is that I can never buy another one that feels just right. — Adi Robertson, senior reporter

Cuyana Classic Leather Tote

Most of the time, I use a Timbuk2 Authority backpack, which I like because it distributes the weight of the laptop and whatever else I’m lugging around nicely. There are a bunch of compartments, which contain some accessories for my laptop, plus eye drops, a contact case and solution, and the various over-the-counter medications (ibuprofen, anti-histamines, guaifenesin) that I don’t leave home without. However, sometimes I wish to convey to the people around me that I’m a fancy fucking lady, and then I use Cuyana’s Classic Leather Tote, with the Tote Organization Insert, which has a laptop pocket. Both bags are good at accommodating a great deal of nonsense, but if I’m traveling, I can pull the insert out of the Cuyana bag and carry it to — for instance — a wedding. Also, people are (or were, pre-pandemic) nicer to me at airports when I lugged it instead of a backpack. — Liz Lopatto, senior reporter

[Note: the Cuyana Classic Leather Tote has since been replaced by the Cuyana Classic Easy Tote.]

Tom Binh Synapse 25

The Tom Binh Synapse 25 is quite expensive for a backpack (though I assume some of that cost comes from the fact that it’s made in Seattle), but I knew that it had been a good buy when I was stuck out in the rain with it all night and it kept my stuff dry. That same week, I had to jump on a plane and go across the country for a week, and I was able to fit all my clothes and electronics into it and use it as a single carry-on.

Since then, I’ve taken it on dozens of trips, and have subjected it to muddy outdoor worksites for hours on end. It’s held up to everything remarkably well, and has been one of the most well-built and thoughtfully designed bags I’ve had the pleasure of using. The main compartment perfectly fits a laptop and a few packing cubes, and the water bottle pocket is right in the center of the bag, keeping it from weighing too heavily on one shoulder. The zippers feel great, and I absolutely love the orange color I got it in, as well as how tough the material feels. Overall, it feels like it strikes the perfect balance: it’s tough (and light) enough for prolonged outdoor use, while still being classy enough to tote your laptop and lunch to the office. — Mitchell Clark, news writer

Timbuk2 Custom Prospect Laptop Backpack

I see I’m not the only person with a Timbuk2 bag, so I’ll just join the chorus to recommend my personal bag, the Custom Prospect Laptop backpack. It has a good-sized laptop flap (Timbuk2 advertises a 15-inch screen fit, and it’s always held my MacBook Airs comfortably), a spacious interior, and a handy flap up top that lets you add a little extra space to the interior of the bag. I’ve had mine for nearly seven years, even using it for my weekly grocery store runs, and it’s held up like a champ throughout. Plus, with this bag, you can personalize it with your favorite colors or reflective material. —Jay Peters, news writer

Black Diamond Creek Transit 32

A couple of years ago, I picked up the Black Diamond Creek Transit 32 for what once was my daily commute downtown. While I wish it looked a bit more professional at times — most Black Diamond equipment is built for the climbing crag, not the cubicle — I’ve always appreciated it for its relative simplicity and the sheer amount of gear it can carry. The 32-liter pack takes a cue from the company’s ultra-durable haul bags, and as such, it’s made with a waterproof shell and ballistic nylon that can take a bit of a beating (I’ve tested this). It also features a cushioned, 15-inch laptop compartment on the rear, a zippered top lid, and separate bottom compartment where I can stash my gym clothes, running attire, and — yes — a decrepit pair of climbing shoes for those times when I decide to take it bouldering outside the city limits. — Brandon Widder, senior editor, commerce

Mission Workshop’s The Monty: AP

After months of searching and fretting over the width of straps, ease of entry, and general bulk of profile, I finally picked up the Mission Workshop’s The Monty Advanced (now called The Monty: AP) messenger bag in brown canvas. The strap on it is big and padded enough that it won’t dig in if I’m carrying a couple of laptops, a bunch of camera gear, and the general odds and ends I cram in a bag, and the quick release makes it easy for me to adjust the bag so it fits closer to the body on longer walks. It’s also totally waterproof, a thing I accidentally tested on day two when I was caught in a deluge. But if there is a spill, the lining is easy to clean — it has handled chicken curry and rum punch with more aplomb than my stomach lining. I love that it can switch between being a flap-style bag or a roll top, depending on how much stuff I’ve tried to pack in. But its style definitely skews rugged.

When I need a little more professional bag I use a the Telfar Medium Tan Shopping Bag, which a friend sold me on by saying it could hold a 15-inch laptop, charger, wallet, and two bottles of wine. She was correct. — Alex Cranz, managing editor

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L

“Laptop bag” to me is any bag that fits a laptop but also gets jam-packed with too much camera equipment. The slightly unwieldy but lovely Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L has been my main work bag for well over two years (I have the first-gen version), and it has traveled with me all over the country and beyond while holding up to abuse and looking clean in its charcoal colorway. I have at times packed it with multiple full-size camera bodies, lenses, and accessories, along with either a 16-inch MacBook Pro (which is easily swallowed up in its laptop pocket) or a 13-inch MacBook Air that takes a cave-diving excursion into its inner depths. The structuring of this bag and the way gear is meant to slot into its three shelves and pocket walls with side-access may not be for everyone, but if you want to carry a lot of camera and tech-adjacent gear, it offers lots of versatility. Do yourself a favor and try to make the smaller 20L version work for your needs, so when you inevitably overpack it you can save your back more than I do with the 30L. — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, writer, commerce

Mystery Ranch Urban Assault 18

I found the Mystery Ranch Urban Assault 18 at a warehouse sale and it has since become my go-to for every occasion. It is not geared toward tech but has two laptop sleeves and three mesh pockets that fit my dongles, books, laptop, small tripod, camera, and personal items with room to spare. It also makes heavy loads easy to carry for long periods with super comfortable shoulder straps and a chest strap. The best part about it, though, is the way it zippers down the middle. This has been great for taking out single items even if they are packed at the bottom. I thought I would never quit my Chrome backpacks but the Mystery Ranch is lighter, more comfortable for long trips, and the vertical zipper is now a must-have for me. — Becca Farsace, senior producer

Herschel Classic Backpack

It’s okay to like a backpack with lots of pockets (and, from looking at the rest of this article, many of my colleagues do). Sleeves for laptops, side pockets for pens, mesh lining for sunglasses. Whatever. And reader, I was once one of those people. But after using the Errant backpack for a little over a year, I came to the conclusion that sometimes it’s possible to overthink things. I mean, sure, the Errant was great when I was commuting every day with exactly the same combination of laptop, notebook, and other work accessories. But the second I needed to carry around something else — like groceries — I found the sheer amount of extra pockets just ate away at valuable bag space.

So instead, for the past two years, I’ve been using the simplest backpack I could find. It has one big compartment that holds everything from my laptop to a sweater or a grocery shopping trip, with one small compartment for pens and chargers. I don’t have to think about which compartment to put everything in, and I don’t have to spend any time organizing anything because everything inevitably becomes a mess the second I zip the bag up. But you know what? I haven’t spent any time thinking about backpacks since buying this thing two and a half years ago. And that’s exactly the way I like it. — Jon Porter, reporter

Danny K Classic Backpack

Years ago, while wandering through the gift shop in a museum, I was struck by a large shoulder bag made from a lovely, tapestry-like material. It had a zipper running down the length of its main strap so that, if you unzipped it, one strap became two and the bag could be worn like a backpack. I spent a long time trying to convince myself I didn’t really need it, until eventually my partner grabbed it and bought it for me — and I’ve used it constantly ever since.

The Danny K Classic Backpack isn’t “classic” by any means — as I said, it is basically a shoulder bag that converts to a backpack. It’s also not quite large enough for a laptop. But it’s got loads of pockets and accommodates a lot of stuff — including my phone, a charger, a small tablet, a folded-up rain jacket, a water bottle, and more. It also looks great. I’ve used mine until some of the tapestry has begun to unravel, but even that sort of adds to its feel of something old-fashioned but still useful. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor

Lululemon Athletica Everywhere Belt Bag

For obvious reasons, I wasn’t going out very much in 2020. I did not need my lipstick. I did not need a notebook. I did not need my cellphone charger. I did not need a light sweater, or a book, or a place to tuck away a half-empty bottle of sparkling water. When I did leave my house, what I needed was my phone, my keys, and my wallet. And honestly, I didn’t even really need my whole wallet since both the grocery store and the liquor store took Apple Pay.

So I bought the Lululemon Everywhere belt bag (a nice euphemism for a fanny pack) in very practical all-purpose black. It’s smaller than other belt bags I’d looked at and also features mesh pockets on the inside — good for stashing your phone or keys so you can open the bag on the go without fear of important things falling out. There’s also a nice little outside zipper pocket on the side of the bag that faces the body, which is a good spot for a transit card, folded mask, or vaccination record.

I’ve been using the bag regularly for two years, and it’s worn well — no scratches, no tears, no fading, and no issues with the zippers or pockets. I adjust the strap to sling it cross-body over my torso or to wear it around my waist (like a true fanny pack), depending on how dorky I’m feeling at any given time. It’s perfect for errands, great for a walk, and it’s even useful when traveling. (I wear mine at the airport and then tuck it away into my larger “personal item” backpack when it’s time to board the plane.)

The only problem with this bag is that it got TikTok-famous this year, which I guess I should have known once I saw half the people in my neighborhood walking around with some version of my bag in various colors. If you manage to catch a restock, you won’t regret it. — Sarah Jeong, deputy features editor

[Note: Until the Everywhere Belt Bag is available, we’ve substituted the Lululemon Athletica Wunderlust Belt Bag.]

Mossio 7 Set Packing Cubes

Although not a bag per se but, rather, a tool for bag organization, I swear by packing cubes. I wasn’t always a diehard fan of packing cubes, though; I’m actually a recent convert. Having schlepped across multiple continents with a carry-on, I consider myself a pretty efficient traveler, so I shrugged off the need for packing cubes for years. It wasn’t until I began to regularly visit a friend every few months in New York City that I had to reevaluate.

My suitcase would explode across her apartment, and I became the house guest every New Yorker hates to have. My piles of clothes simply took up too much room. Finally, begrudgingly, I ordered a set of packing cubes to help contain my various outfits, supplies, and laundry. To my surprise, they not only worked but I also fell in love with them. I won’t travel without them now. I can pack more, save on space, and best of all, I only pull out one cube as needed instead of rummaging around in an unorganized suitcase. — Kaitlin Hatton, audience manager

BabyBjörn Baby Carrier One Air

It’s been over a decade since I had a commute, and while I have a few backpacks in rotation (including an ancient Tom Bihn Brain Bag and an Evergoods Civic Panel Loader), I wouldn’t qualify either as a favorite. The Brain Bag is a bit floppy, and the CPL has excellent construction but a few confounding design flaws — most since rectified. But technically, the prompt for this article was “favorite way to carry your stuff around.” If a child counts as stuff, then I do have a favorite: the BabyBjörn Baby Carrier One Air.

The Björn, as we invariably call it (“would you like to björn the baby, or shall I?”) is comfortable, versatile, and can haul kids either front- or rear-facing — or even on your back. Ours has survived seven years and three kids, and we’ve used it everywhere from grocery stores and zoos to hikes in the woods. It’s especially clutch for travel. Passengers at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport earlier this month witnessed me sprinting across the terminal toward our gate with a 27-pound two-year-old on my front and a backpack on my back. We made the flight. — Nathan Edwards, senior editor, reviews

Update August 28th, 2022, 1:24PM ET: This article was originally published on August 19th, 2021. Prices have been updated, and several new bags have been added.

Nichelle Nichols’ ashes will voyage to space aboard a Vulcan rocket

Ovation TV Premiere Screening Of “Art Breakers” — *Nichelle Nichols died on July 30th, 2022 at age 89.* | Photo by Araya Diaz/Getty Images for Ovation

The ashes of Nichelle Nichols, the actress who played Lieutenant Nyota Uhura in the original Star Trek, will get sent into deep space on a rocket that memorializes her and several other Star Trek veterans (via Reuters). Nichols’ son, Kyle Johnson, donated her ashes after she died in July at age 89.

Nichols’ ashes will head to space on a rocket fittingly called the Vulcan Centaur, with the memorial spaceflight company, Celestis, running the “Enterprise Flight” mission. There still isn’t a set date for the send-off, and it will likely depend on the United Launch Alliance’s ongoing development of the Vulcan rocket.

During the mission, Nichols will be joined by the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and his wife, Majel Barrett, who starred as the series’ nurse Christine Chapel. James Doohan, who played the Enterprise’s engineer, Scotty, and the visual effects artist Douglas Trumbell, who’s known for his work on Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Blade Runner, will also be on board.

When the rocket takes off from Cape Canaveral, it will carry over 200 capsules containing ashes, DNA samples, as well the names, messages, and pictures provided by users from around the globe. Celestis will store the capsules in the rocket’s upper stage, which will get sent between 150 million and 300 million kilometers into space and orbit the Sun.

Nichols’ was a pioneer in the film industry and became the first Black woman to hold a major role on television. Her legacy extends off-screen too, as she served as an advocate for NASA to encourage the recruitment of astronauts from underrepresented backgrounds. She’s credited with helping get the first Black man, Colonel Guion Bluford, and the first woman, Sally Ride, to space.

Google Meet is stealing Zoom’s trick to easily unmute

As Google carries out the needlessly complex process of combining both the Meet and Duo apps, now it’s throwing a feature copied from Zoom in the mix. In an update on the Google Workspace blog, the company announced that Google Meet will soon give you the ability to unmute yourself by holding down the spacebar and to mute yourself again by releasing it.

If you frequently use Zoom, this feature might sound a lot like its push-to-talk feature — and that’s because it’s essentially the same thing. Zoom has had the feature since at least 2020, and it comes in handy whenever you want to chime in during a meeting but don’t want to stay unmuted for long.

Google says it'll start rolling out its own version of the shortcut to all Workspace users on September 9th, but it could take up to 15 days for you to see it. Once it arrives, it won’t be turned on by default, so you’ll have to enable it from Google Meet’s settings.

Confusingly, Google’s efforts to merge Duo and Meet have left us with the new Meet app (the one that combines both Duo and Meet), the old Meet (Original) app, and a Duo shortcut that leads to Meet. It’s truly something only Google could think up. That said, I’m pretty sure the new push-to-talk feature’s coming to the new Google Meet app, but it’s still not exactly clear whether it’s coming to the Meet (Original) app, as Google will eventually discontinue it. The Verge reached out to Google to see if it could clear things up but didn’t immediately hear back.

SwitchBot Lock review: a tiny robot hand that unlocks your door

Yes, it looks as weird as it sounds, but it works well as a basic smart lock

The $99 SwitchBot Lock is the first smart door lock I’ve tested that doesn’t replace any part of your existing lock. Instead, it attaches to the back of your door over the top of the thumb turn. This removes a major pain point of smart locks: an involved installation. But the SwitchBot Lock is really odd looking — my husband literally stopped in his tracks and said, “What is that thing?” I had a similar reaction when I first saw it and was wholly unconvinced this large piece of black plastic would have the power to unlock my deadbolt.

I was surprised to discover that the SwitchBot Lock moves that thumb turn just as well as I can, and it stayed firmly put during my two weeks of testing, despite being attached solely by double-sided sticky tape. (No word yet on long-term durability, but it looks promising so far).

The downsides are that it’s not very smart and it’s missing a few key features (haha). You also need around $70 worth of accessories to add smart home control and a keypad. This puts it closer in price to more elegant-looking solutions, such as the $230 August Wi-Fi Smart Lock, which needs a bit more work to install but doesn’t leave you with a honking great piece of plastic on your door.

How we review and rate products

The SwitchBot Lock is a retrofit Bluetooth-powered smart door lock that can lock and unlock your door using the SwitchBot app on a smartphone or Apple Watch. (It’s not Home Key compatible). It attaches to your door using 3M VHB tape and uses a small plastic grabber to hold on to and turn the lock’s thumb turn.

That grabber can turn anything. Videos in Amazon reviews show it even turning a key, making this an excellent solution for people with nontraditional door locks and multipoint locks who can’t get any other smart lock to work (see a list here). It’s cleverly engineered with shifting base plates that prevent the lock from twisting itself off while turning the lock.

This is SwitchBot’s thing: making regular devices smart. They have a little bot that presses your light switch for you and a robot that crawls along your curtain rod to open and close the curtains. This one is a robot hand for your door lock. It comes with three different-sized adapters, so you can find the right fit for your setup. The SwitchBot Lock doesn’t remove any function — you can still use your key, and you can still turn the deadbolt manually; it just adds the ability to use your phone or watch as your key.

*The Keypad Touch adds a fingerprint reader for another way to unlock your door.*

There are a total of seven ways to control the door lock: your key, the smartphone / Apple Watch app, NFC tags using your phone, a key code using a keypad, a fingerprint reader, an NFC keycard, and smart home / voice control. That’s a lot of options — although only the first three work out of the box.

For the keycard, keypad, or fingerprint entry, you’ll need one of SwitchBot’s two Bluetooth keypads. These attach with double-sided tape (or screws if you prefer). I tested the fingerprint version, which costs $60, and it worked quickly and reliably.

The non-fingerprint version is only $30, but fingerprint access is my favorite way to use a smart door lock. The keypads also work with NFC keycards. (One is supplied and you can buy a three-pack for $15.) Although, if you have a keypad, I don’t see a need for a keycard, as you can dole out permanent, temporary, and one-time codes to anyone who needs access. Annoyingly, six digits is the minimum here, which is a lot of digits.

If you don’t go for the extra keypads, another unlock option is using the two NFC tags that come with the lock. You can pair those to your phone to lock or unlock the door with a tap of your phone. But you have to use two tags: one to lock and one to unlock. Sticking two white pieces of plastic on your door does not improve the overall look here, and if you have your phone out already, using the iOS or Android lock screen widget is almost as fast.

The SwitchBot does work with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Siri Shortcuts (but not HomeKit), so you can use voice commands to lock and unlock the door and add the lock into smart home Routines (Alexa and Google only).

But you need a $40 SwitchBot Hub Mini to connect the lock to Wi-Fi and make these integrations; the lock itself communicates over Bluetooth. You also need the hub to control the lock or check its status when you’re not at home using the SwitchBot app. The hub works with all of SwitchBot’s gadgets but needs to be installed near the lock.

Operating the SwitchBot with an Apple Watch over Bluetooth.

I installed the SwitchBot Lock on my back door, which is a main entryway to our house. It leads into our mudroom from our garage and gets a lot of foot traffic. The fingerprint reader and keypad made it easy for my children to use the lock — no need to download an app. Without those, though, there is not an easy way for a kid without a smartphone to access the door.

I was also disappointed that the notifications when the door is unlocked didn’t show which code or fingerprint was used. This is a common feature on other smart locks and one I personally use to help keep track of my older kids’ comings and goings when I’m at work. I could check the log in the app to see who unlocked it, though.

Locking and unlocking are fast when controlling it with the keypad, but the phone app takes over five seconds to connect — very irritating if you’re standing in the rain. The Apple Watch connects more quickly, and if you didn’t have a keypad, is the easiest way to control the lock. All these interactions are over Bluetooth, so you must stand by the lock. To control it remotely with the app or voice control, you need the hub.

*The top of the lock pops off for battery replacement and to adjust the lock to fit your door.*

Setup and installation were quick, under 5 minutes in all. This is one of the lock’s biggest selling points, but it also wasn’t entirely straightforward. There’s a bit of lining up to do to make sure the lock will turn before you tape it to the door, and you need to use a small screwdriver (supplied) to adjust the spacing of the lock. Cleverly, it attaches in any direction, vertically or horizontally, so you can fit it around your door handle. It also comes with a magnet to sense when the door is open or closed, although I could still lock it remotely while it was wide open without any alert or notification.

The SwitchBot app is basic. There’s no way to create schedules to lock or unlock the door at a set time of day, and the auto-lock feature was very spotty. It only worked with both the “Lock after a set period of time” and the “Re-lock if the door has been unlocked but not opened” toggles on, and even then, it was unreliable. This seems like a software bug that may get fixed. But it did mean I had to get my phone out to lock the door (there are iOS and Android lock screen widgets to make this quicker), use the Apple Watch app, or use my key. When I added the keypad, though, I could hit a button to lock it.

There are some useful notification options, including when the door is locked, if the door has been left unlocked, and if it’s been left ajar after a certain amount of time. Notifications require the hub to work, and really, they should just sell this with the hub. It definitely makes it a better smart lock. With the hub, I could connect to Alexa and add the lock to an Alexa Routine that automatically locked it every night at sunset.

*It works, but it doesn’t look like it should work.*

The SwitchBot Lock a good option for renters who can’t change their door lock at all or for those who can’t or won’t remove any part of their existing deadbolt. It does need to stick to the doorframe using a heavy-duty adhesive, which will likely take some paint with it if you ever remove it. Similar retrofit options from August, Wyze, and Bosma require removing the rear deadbolt, and they all cost over $100.

But its smart features are limited to controlling the lock locally with your phone, Apple Watch, or existing key. When you add in the Wi-Fi hub, you get away-from-home control and more useful smart home integrations, but only with Google Home and Alexa; there’s no HomeKit support and limited IFTTT integration. (The lock is only a trigger, not an action.)

If you also add in the keypad — especially the fingerprint one — this becomes a much more useful proposition, but then you’re knocking on $170, closer to the price of less ugly options with better smarts that don’t require all this extra equipment (but do require removing some or all of your door lock). These include the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock plus Keypad and the Eufy Smart Lock Touch with Wi-Fi (fingerprint reader and keypad in one but a full lock replacement).

The biggest benefit of this lock is its versatility. You can even use two on one door to deal with multipoint locking. Its ability to grab pretty much any type of locking mechanism, including a key, means it may be the only smart solution that works for your door.

Photography by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data breach lawsuit ends in 11th hour settlement

Dramatic move shows Mark Zuckerberg ‘desperate to avoid being questioned over cover-up’, says Observer journalist who exposed scandal

Facebook has dramatically agreed to settle a lawsuit seeking damages for allowing Cambridge Analytica access to the private data of tens of millions of users, four years after the Observer exposed the scandal that mired the tech giant in repeated controversy.

A court filing reveals that Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has in principle settled for an undisclosed sum a long-running lawsuit that claimed Facebook illegally shared user data with the UK analysis firm.

samedi 27 août 2022

Rise of the parking app makes the rich richer as motorists struggle

Digital parking has spread rapidly across Britain, but campaigners say it is stressful or inaccessible for many

All summer, exasperated motorists have been jabbing at their phones, trying to download and install yet another parking app. Then follows the interminable chore of entering card details and number plate, which may ultimately be derailed by poor phone signal or a glitchy app.

Anti-ageism campaigners say navigating the process can be overwhelming for some older people who, in the words of the veteran consumer champion Dame Esther Rantzen, risk being “imprisoned at home”.

The best £6 I ever spent! 31 small items that could make your life a tiny bit better

Ducky toast tongs, candle sharpeners and an apple tree … our writers name one gadget, gizmo or thing they didn’t know they couldn’t live without

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful,” William Morris said. I’m fussier. Have nothing in your wardrobe that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.

TikTok can track users’ every tap as they visit other sites through iOS app, new research shows

Researcher says social media app can collect keystroke information but ‘there is no way for us to know’ if or how data is used

TikTok has the ability to track every tap of your screen while you browse in its iOS app, including typed passwords and clicked links, according to new research by software engineer Felix Krause.

In-app browsing refers to any activity on third-party sites that open in the app, rather than in an external window.

vendredi 26 août 2022

Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg won’t be deposed over the Cambridge Analytica scandal

Illustration by William Joel / The Verge

Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg were in line to give hours of depositions in response to a lawsuit over Facebook and the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal, but now that won’t happen — the company has reached a settlement agreement with the plaintiffs. As reported earlier by Reuters, a court filing reveals the parties have reached an agreement in principle and requested a stay of 60 days to finalize their written agreement. Without the settlement and stay, they would have been deposed before September 20th.

You can read the document for yourself below, but so far, there are no details about the terms of the agreement. Meta, as the company is now known, declined to comment via a spokesperson, while lawyers for the plaintiffs have not yet responded to an inquiry from The Verge. Still, I’d guess that keeping things from going any further is worth a lot of money to Meta, no matter how much it’s spending on VR.

Now, Zuckerberg will only have to take questions from Joe Rogan and talk about new VR headsets, instead of going under oath in front of opposing counsel about the details of what happened within his company around the time of the 2016 election.

The lawsuit alleged that Facebook illegally shared user data with third parties, and said the company didn’t adequately protect that data from being abused by bad actors. Zuckerberg faced questions from Congress in 2018 that didn’t do much to clear up the scandal or explain exactly what happened with Cambridge Analytica, a firm hired by the Trump presidential campaign that was able to scrape data from millions of Facebook profiles.

Facebook agrees to settle Cambridge Analytica data privacy lawsuit

The four-year-old case alleged that the company had violated consumer privacy laws by sharing users’ personal data with third parties

Meta’s Facebook has in-principle agreed to settle a lawsuit in the San Francisco federal court seeking damages for letting third parties, including Cambridge Analytica, access the private data of users, a court filing showed.

The financial terms were not disclosed in the filing on Friday that asked the judge to put the class action suit on hold for 60 days until the lawyers for both plaintiffs and Facebook finalize a written settlement.

Netflix’s ad-supported tier could cost between $7 and $9 per month

Netflix’s forthcoming ad-supported tier may cost between $7 and $9 per month, according to a report from Bloomberg. Depending on which plan you currently pay for, that could be a significant savings; the company currently offers plans at $9.99, $15.49, and $19.99 per month.

After the company reported that it lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade, co-CEO Reed Hastings indicated in April the company was ready to consider a cheaper offering supported by advertising, despite years of spurning the idea of ads. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed the ad tier was in the works in June, and Netflix announced Microsoft as the technological partner helping to deliver ads in July.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the ad-supported tier will have some downgrades from the no ads plans; executives have said that some content will be missing from the ad tier at launch, while code spotted in its mobile app indicates Netflix may not let users on the ad-supported tier download shows for offline viewing.

Bloomberg’s Friday report sheds light on a few more details of the ad tier. The company aims to sell approximately four minutes of ads per hour and wants to show ads ahead of and in the middle of content. Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Netflix doesn’t plan to include ads with its kids content or original movies. Netflix is targeting to launch the ad-supported plan in “half a dozen markets” in the final quarter of this year, Bloomberg says. The company plans to launch the tier more broadly in early 2023. Netflix didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The new ad plan arrives at a turbulent time. After April’s shocking drop in subscribers, Netflix reported another subscriber drop three months later. Netflix also raised its prices across all of its plans in the US in January — its third price hike in recent years —and is testing ways to turn password-sharing viewers into customers who pay for extra streams. And the company is facing competition from other streaming services like Disney Plus, whose own ad-supported plan is set to launch in December, and HBO Max, which launched a $10 ad-supported plan in June 2021 that comes without downloads or 4K streaming.

A Journey Into Misinformation on Social Media

A Journey Into Misinformation on Social Media Disinformation and misinformation on social media have only grown worse since the 2016 election, our reporters say. And the threat is changing faster than the social media companies can keep up.

jeudi 25 août 2022

Elon Musk says Tesla cars will connect to Starlink’s new cellular-broadcasting satellites

*Soon with satellite connectivity.* | Photo by Loren Grush / The Verge

Elon Musk just announced that the upcoming second-generation Starlink internet satellites include cellular antennas for connections with phones from T-Mobile in the US, and potentially other operators as well.

Following the event, he responded to tweets asking whether the connections will work with Tesla’s electric cars, which currently connect to AT&T’s LTE network. According to Musk, the answer is yes.

Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2022

He didn’t go into detail about how it will all work or how much data owners could expect to access from the connections when they’re somewhere out of reach by terrestrial cellphone towers. Musk said during the event that the satellite-to-cellular coverage from Starlink will be capable of providing a 2 - 4 Mbps link, which is shared by everyone in the satellite’s coverage area. That likely won’t be enough for some premium connectivity features, like live-streaming video from your car’s cameras. Still, a connection that works at all, “anywhere you have a view of the sky,” is better than no connection, potentially.

In a comment to The Verge, LightShed Partners analyst Walter Piecyk pointed out that enabling access could work similarly to an MVNO like Google Fi, which uses multiple carriers as its backbone, or that Musk could change the carrier deal away from AT&T in the future.

Over the years, Tesla has scaled back the connectivity packages that come standard with its electric vehicles. As explained here, cars purchased before the end of June 2018 include Premium Connectivity at no extra charge, while cars purchased before July 20th, 2022, all include at least the standard connectivity package with in-car maps and navigation. Those connections are available for the lifetime of the vehicle, “excluding retrofits or upgrades required for any features or services externally supplied to the vehicle.” Adding the Premium Connectivity subscription to a Tesla that doesn’t have it currently costs $9.99 per month, or $99 annually.

The recent shutdown of AT&T’s 3G network showed how that can come into play, as older vehicles built prior to mid-2015 without an LTE-capable modem may have required a $200 upgrade to stay connected.

For new or used electric cars purchased today from Tesla, they “will have Standard Connectivity for the remainder of the eight years from the first day your vehicle was delivered as new by Tesla, or the first day it is put into service (for example used as a demonstrator or service vehicle), whichever comes first.”

Update August 25th, 11PM ET: Added additional information about Tesla’s connectivity packages.

T-Mobile and SpaceX Starlink say your 5G phone will connect to satellites next year

T-Mobile says it's getting rid of mobile dead zones thanks to a new partnership with SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet, at an event hosted by T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert and Elon Musk. With their "Coverage Above and Beyond" setup, mobile phones could connect to satellites and use a slice of a connection providing around 2 to 4 Megabits per second connection (total) across a given coverage area.

According to Musk, second-generation Starlink satellites launching next year will be able to broadcast service using part of T-Mobile's mid-band PCS spectrum, which was bolstered when it was allowed to buy Sprint a few years ago. Musk said the new satellites have "big, big antennas" that are 5 to 6 meters across to enable the new connections and that the plan is to launch the equipment using its upcoming Starship rocket.

Note, connectivity will be 2 to 4 Mbits per cell zone, so will work great for texting & voice calls, but not high bandwidth
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2022

The company says it'll let you text, send MMS messages, and even use "select messaging apps" whenever you have a clear view of the sky, even if there's no traditional service available. According to a press release from T-Mobile, the "satellite-to-cellular service" will be available "everywhere in the continental US, Hawaii, parts of Alaska, Puerto Rico and territorial waters."

"If there aren't too many people in the cell zone, you may potentially even have a little bit of video," said Musk. As Sievert described it, operators of messaging apps like WhatsApp or iMessage will need to work with T-Mobile and Starlink for their services to recognize the satellite connection and work with it once it launches.

Musk provided a bit more detail by saying that, unlike usual internet service, it could work without access to Starlink's full satellite constellation. By limiting it to certain messages and services, as well as only in places that don't currently have cellular connectivity, it could use a more intermittent connection for "basic" coverage, although you might have to wait 30 minutes for a message to go through.

The two execs said they're seeking partnerships with mobile carriers worldwide who would be interested in reciprocal spectrum sharing agreements so that their customers can link up with SpaceX. T-Mobile customers could also use those connections when they come to other countries.

Musk also said on Twitter that one of his other companies, Tesla, will use the technology for the premium connectivity feature in its electric vehicles. Currently, Tesla uses AT&T's network for things like live traffic visualization, satellite-view maps, and music streaming.

*Musk said that the service may even work while your phone is in your pocket, or in a car.*

The service will launch in beta by the end of next year in "select areas," and Sievert says he hopes it will someday include data. He says that when it launches, T-Mobile's "vision" is for it to be included for free in the carrier's "most popular plans," though he did say that today's event isn't an official announcement. He said T-Mobile wants to make it available to people with "low cost" plans for a "monthly service fee" lower than current satellite connectivity services. (That does potentially encompass a wide range of prices, though — Garmin's InReach satellite messenger subscription plans, for example, start at $14.95 per month but go up to $64.95 a month.)

T-Mobile says that subscribers' current phones will be able to utilize the network — no special equipment required. As Elon Musk said in the announcement: "the phone you currently have will work."

*T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert and SpaceX chief engineer Elon Musk*

The fact that it's using traditional cell spectrum is a bit of a double-edged sword. Not requiring special equipment is an obvious advantage, but T-Mobile doesn't own the rights to that spectrum worldwide. So while SpaceX's satellites could technically communicate with phones internationally, T-Mobile may not have rights to the same bands its system uses when you take your phone to another country or into international waters.

That's not the case for traditional satellite communications networks, like the Iridium system Garmin uses. If phone manufacturers wanted to introduce their own version of this feature, something Apple has been rumored to be working on, partnering with other satellite providers could net them more coverage than T-Mobile's planning to offer.

As Walter Piecyk, an analyst at Lightshed Partners, tells The Verge: "Apple and Samsung might have an easier time integrating existing satellite connectivity into their upcoming phones than Starlink will face in trying to cobble together spectrum rights with wireless operators around the globe."

Fights over spectrum rights could get messy and indeed already have. T-Mobile and Verizon have lobbied the Federal Communications Commission to stop a company called AST & Science from launching satellites that could provide mobile phone service from space, claiming that its system could interfere with its land-based networks. SpaceX is embroiled in a battle with Dish Networks over the 12Ghz spectrum, which the latter wants to use for terrestrial 5G. Musk's company has warned its home internet users that Dish using 12Ghz could totally destroy its satellite internet service. Analysts have even questioned whether the service announced today will require additional approvals from the FCC.

Sievert also said that T-Mobile was "open" to the possibility of using SpaceX for its network backhaul in the future, especially in rural areas. While that's a few steps ahead from what the two companies are pitching now (again, Musk says each cell will support around 2-4 megabits), it could help make it less expensive for the carrier to expand its network. Such a plan would be similar to what Verizon announced in collaboration with Amazon's Kuiper satellite internet project, though that plan seems much further away from fruition, as Amazon doesn't seem to have launched any of its satellites yet.

Earlier this year, SpaceX lost a bid for rural internet subsidies because of the cost of its equipment. But if it can piggyback off T-Mobile's existing equipment, which people in rural areas may already own, that could help its case with the Federal Communications Commission. The Thursday presentation certainly hit on rural coverage, with videos of people in remote parks, the mountains, or herding animals.

Update 10:15PM ET: added information about where the service will be able to cover, as well as Tesla using it for premium connectivity in its cars.

‘This you?’: the seven letters exposing rightwing hypocrisy

As Biden eases student loan debt for millions, a simple phrase is puncturing criticism from conservatives like Marjorie Taylor Greene

Conservatives are frothing at the mouth over Joe Biden’s decision to forgive $10,000 in student debt for millions, railing against what they call “student loan socialism”. But their carefully crafted tweets have been undermined over and over again with two words: “This you?”

Were there ever seven letters more powerful? On Twitter, the phrase is an instant marker of hypocrisy, cutting down the mighty from politicians to celebrities to brands. It typically comes as a reply to an opinionated tweet, accompanied by a screenshot of an earlier remark from the same person endorsing the opposite point of view.

The new Steam Deck ebook lays out Valve’s long-term vision

A Steam Deck on a white and orange background. — *This is the first Steam Deck, but based on Valve’s book, it sounds like there will be others.* | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

On Thursday, Valve released a digital “booklet” all about the Steam Deck, Steam, and the company itself. Valve says it released the book ahead of the Steam Deck’s launch in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, but the book also happens to arrive on the six-month anniversary of when Valve sent the first order emails allowing people to buy their Steam Deck.

The 52-page ebook is free, and if you’re at all interested in Valve or the Steam Deck, I’d recommend flipping through it. Not only are there a few pages littered with Steam Deck prototypes, but you’ll also be able to read about Valve’s ambitions for the Steam Deck in its own words.

Hello! We wrote a small book about Steam Deck, Steam, and Valve. We're pretty happy with how it turned out, and we're now making it available digitally.
Learn more and download the booklet here: https://t.co/KG4YdGS2Lx pic.twitter.com/fbeXevzY5r
— Steam Deck (@OnDeck) August 25, 2022

Perhaps the most notable part is that Valve is committing to the Steam Deck and SteamOS as a “multi-generational product line.” Valve has called the Steam Deck a “multi-generational category” in the past, but the company goes even farther with what it prints in the book (and because it’s printed in a book, it’s definitely that much more official):

Anyway, this is a multi-generational product line. Valve will support Steam Deck and SteamOS well into the foreseeable future. We will learn from the Steam community about new uses for our hardware that we haven’t thought of yet, and we will build new versions to be even more open and capable than the first version of Steam Deck has been.

After reading that, I’m already eagerly anticipating the Steam Deck 3, though hopefully the third entry of a certain video game series arrives before that does.

Valve also shared some interesting numbers about Steam, like that there are more than 130 million active players on Steam every month and more than 30,000 titles on the platform. And as of the publishing of the book, Valve says that more than 4,500 titles have the “Verified” or “Playable” designation for Steam Deck, meaning that approximately 15 percent of all games on Steam are already at the very least deemed to be “Playable.”

Since those first order emails went out in February, Valve has been ramping up its shipping volume, and on Wednesday, the company even said that some Q4 reservations were being bumped up to Q3. If you place a reservation today, Valve’s website says you won’t be able to order your device until sometime in Q4. But at the rate things have been improving, hopefully it won’t be too long until your order email hits your inbox — and while you wait, Valve has a book you can read.

Instagram tightens default content settings for teens

Three mobile phone screens showing content filter options on Instagram — *New teenage users will be defaulted to a newsfeed that shows less sensitive content* | Image: Instagram

Instagram announced the platform is rolling out a feature that defaults accounts for new users under 16 years old to “Less,” the most restrictive setting for Sensitive Content Control. Teenagers already on Instagram will get push notifications “encouraging” them to opt-in to the heavier filtering on what the algorithm shows them across Search, Explore, Hashtag Pages, Reels, Feed Recommendations, and Suggested Accounts.

The “Standard” setting in Instagram only lets users see some content deemed sensitive, while the “Less” option tightens the restrictions even further, and the “More” option allows users to see more sensitive content or accounts than the default settings. While users over 18 years old typically have access to “Standard,” “Less,” and “More,” teenagers currently only have access to “Standard” and “Less.”

In June, Instagram first introduced its “Less” option. A week later, it began rolling out a feature in the US and other countries to suggest that teenage users look at other content if they spend too much time on one particular topic and excludes topics tied to appearance comparison.

Instagram is also testing prompts for teens that suggest limiting who can interact with their content. The test will ask them to review privacy and security settings related to who can re-share their content, who can message them, the type of content they can see, and time management.

Three mobile phone screens demonstrating Instagram notifications and content settings — Teenage users will be encouraged to review who can interact with their content

The “Sensitive Content Control” feature launched on Instagram in July 2021. The filter was supposed to keep users from seeing potentially harmful and “inappropriate” material suggested to them on the Explore page. As Meta / Instagram ramps up suggested content in response to the rise of TikTok, the tuning applied to the algorithm has become more impactful.

The feature was met with backlash from many people in the art world, sex workers, tattoo artists, and the cannabis industry since they could be excluded from the feed of suggestions if their accounts or content were flagged. In the Help Center, Instagram describes what it sees as sensitive content, including posts with depictions of violence or sexually explicit or suggestive, promoting regulated products and substances, etc.

Instagram has recently introduced other features on Instagram that cater to providing a secure experience. In March, parental controls arrived on the platform that allows parents and guardians to monitor what their child does on Instagram, including how much time they spend on the app.

California E.V. Mandate Finds a Receptive Auto Industry

California E.V. Mandate Finds a Receptive Auto Industry The move to phase out gasoline-powered cars, with other states expected to follow, matches automakers’ plans. The challenge will be making it happen.

Elon Musk subpoenas former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in takeover dispute

Tesla CEO’s attempt to back out of acquisition of social media company heads for trial in Delaware on 17 October

Elon Musk has subpoenaed his friend and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey as part of an effort to back out of his $44bn agreement to acquire the social media platform.

The subpoena was revealed in a court document on Monday.

mercredi 24 août 2022

Starlink lowers monthly subscription prices for many

*Starlink is getting a little cheaper for some.* | Image: Starlink

Starlink, Elon Musk’s internet-from-space service provided by SpaceX, is notifying customers with some good news: their monthly subscriptions have been reduced in response to “local market conditions.”

I received one of these notifications for my Starlink RV service that normally costs me €124 each month in the Netherlands. It says, “Effective 8/24/2022, Starlink is reducing your monthly service fee to €105.” Well, ok.

The price cut is welcome at a time when everything else is getting more expensive due to inflation. “The price reduction factors in your local market conditions and is meant to reflect parity in purchasing power across our customers,” reads the announcement.

Others are reporting similar discounts in locations around the world. For example, on Reddit a person in the UK reports a reduction in their monthly fee to £75 (down from £89), Mexico to $1,100 MXN (down from $2,299 MXN), and Germany €80 (down from €100). Users in Chile and Brazil are reporting price cuts of around 50 percent. A spot check on Starlink’s respective service pages in each country supports the above claims.

The situation in the US, where the dollar has been surging against foreign currencies, is less clear. A person in Nevada reports getting a reduction to $85 (was $110) but Starlink’s own pages still show a monthly subscription price of $110 after a one-time $599 purchase of the hardware kit. A few other people claiming to be from the US note that they haven’t received any price reduction.

So far there’s no mention of a reduction in speed or the addition of strict data caps following the discounted subscriptions.

SpaceX and T-Mobile will host a joint event later today where Elon Musk will be on hand to announce plans to “increase connectivity.” It’s unclear if the event has any relation to the new pricing.

My iPhone is calling to me with a different voice

The iPhone 12 mini — *Sing me the new song of your people.* | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Apple’s upcoming iOS 16 update brings with it a lot of new features — things like the ability to customize your Lock Screen, edit iMessages, or copy written text from a video. But Apple’s also made an under-the-radar change to some of the iPhone’s sounds, which some of us hear at The Verge noticed while using the betas.

When you go to the Find My app and choose the “play sound” option for an iOS / iPadOS 16 device, you’ll now be greeted with what sounds like an electronic xylophone, instead of the pinging sound that played on iOS 15 and before. The change also applies to when you ask your Apple Watch to ping your phone for you, except the sound plays once instead of over and over. One of my co-workers described the new sound as higher pitched and easier to hear, but I’ll let you judge how it sounds for yourself.

iOS 16 has some new sounds for Find My / Watch ping alerts... Sound on! pic.twitter.com/A5lTpBF7EG
— Mitchell (@strawberrywell) August 25, 2022

Let me just say: I think this sound is way better than the old one. While iOS 15’s radar-like pings are a thematically appropriate soundtrack while I’m searching for a lost phone, the new sound seems fun and playful, like my phone is doing a little “here I am, come find me” dance.

What I don’t love as much is the new Siri activation sound. While Siri’s classic two-note activation beep has been missing for a while (when I say “hey Siri” or hold down the power button on your phone, Siri just waits a moment before uttering a slightly creepy “uh-huh?” or “hmm?”), there is still one place I hear it: when activating the voice assistant while using CarPlay. Now, that tone has been replaced with a softer bong, which I find way less attention-grabbing. While I like the sound, I’m not a huge fan of the fact that it makes me second-guess whether Siri’s actually listening while I’m trying to keep my eyes on the road.

Siri sounds different too, when you can activate it. pic.twitter.com/Quaz11GTku
— Mitchell (@strawberrywell) August 25, 2022

If you’ve made it this far in the story, I think it’s safe to assume you’re interested in the sounds phones make to notify use humans that something’s happening. If that’s the case, you may want to check out our incredible article detailing the history of Nokia’s famous ringtones.

Masahiro Sakurai might already be my favorite YouTuber

Masahiro Sakurai in one of his YouTube videos. — Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge

Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of games like Kirby and Super Smash Bros., has revealed his next big project: a YouTube channel. The gaming folk hero teased that he was working on something new earlier this week, and now you can super smash that like button and subscribe to his new channel, Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games.

As of this writing, there are three videos: one that’s all about the channel, one covering what games Sakurai has worked on (like one of the DS greats, Meteos), and one diving deep about how to use in-game pauses for certain effects (like “hit stop” moments you might see in Smash when landing a punch).

Sakurai, of course, is no stranger to appearing on video; he’s been Nintendo’s primary Super Smash Bros. presenter for years, and consistently finds ways to make even the smallest details about new fighters extremely interesting. Now that he’s done with the mammoth project that was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it’s perhaps no surprise that he’s transitioning to a new video series on YouTube.

Sakurai says we shouldn’t expect him to start streaming (sadly) — instead, the videos will be focused on “topics like game development and what makes games fun,” he says in his “About This Channel” video. He’s aiming to keep the videos short, between two and five minutes long.

He’s already teasing that he’ll be able to show some Smash Bros. development builds and design documents that he’s written, so it seems as if we’ll get some rare behind-the-scenes peeks at big Nintendo games. Although Sakurai is running his videos by Nintendo, says the company “isn’t involved in this channel” and that the series is a personal project of his. He isn’t planning to include ads in his videos.

Unfortunately, even Sakurai has to prepare for potential problems that other YouTubers are on alert for. He says that if rights-holders aren’t happy with the footage he includes in his videos, “I’ll do what I can to set things right.” He also expressed some worry that because he’s uploading separate versions of each video in Japanese and English, that could run afoul of YouTube’s duplicate content policies and cause videos to be taken down.

But as you’d expect with any YouTuber trying to get a new series off the ground, Sakurai concludes his about video by asking viewers to hit the subscribe button. While he concedes that’s “a very YouTube thing of me to ask,” he says he won’t be asking again in future videos.

Personally? I couldn’t hit the subscribe button fast enough. I even turned on the notification bell. The videos he’s released so far are fantastic; I had never consciously thought about hit stop before, but now, I’ll be looking for it in every game I play.

After Ultimate, I was content to never ask Sakurai for anything ever again. Now, I’m eagerly waiting for his next video to drop.

Wordle snags a place inside the New York Times Crossword app

Wordle Smartphone Game — Photo by Mike Kemp / In Pictures via Getty Images

Wordle is now available in The New York Times Crossword app for both iOS and Android users. The addictive guessing game joins both The New York Times Crossword variants, Spelling Bee, and more. Users can also continue to play the game on their desktop and through the mobile website.

The word-guessing game became an immediate phenomenon after it was released in October 2021. The Times then acquired Wordle from its creator Josh Wardle in January. That decision was not without complaints, as users began speculating that the game had become harder and some of their streaks were ruined. Despite complaints after its acquisition, The Times said that the game allowed The Times to see a jump in new subscribers at its earnings meeting in May and now says that as of July, about 10 percent of “active” players have played more than 145 games of Wordle.

Other than tackling the complaints, The Times has been tweaking the game during the year. It introduced the WordleBot in April for web Wordle players to help analyze each puzzle to best come up with the best starting word for the game. The company eventually tweaked the WordleBot to begin recommending a new start word, changing its identity to WordleBot 2.0. As cool as it is, WordleBot was only available to specific subscribers. Recently, The New York Times announced that it’s partnering with Hasbro to release Wordle as a physical board game in October.

Integrating the game into the Crossword app seems like an easy way to keep the game in front of interested players, although some are still wary that eventually Wordle or some of its features could end up paywalled, requiring a subscription with The Times. The game continues to be available for free on both the mobile app and desktop website.

Google Play Games beta opens outside the US

*Google Play Games will allow users to play natively on their PCs* | Image: Google

Starting today, users in Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Australia will be able to register for the open beta for Google Play Games on their PCs. Normally, this catalog of games would be restricted to Chromebooks or other Android-enabled devices, but it will soon be available able to run natively on PCs for users in those select countries. The open beta will have a limited number of slots, and accounts will be added on a first-come, first-served basis, but additional slots are set to become available on a rolling basis.

The open beta isn’t currently available to users in other markets, even though Windows 11 users have had access to Android apps from the Amazon app store for some time. Google originally announced that it would be bringing its catalog of Android games to Windows PCs back in December of last year.

*You’ll be able to sync your saves across multiple devices with Google Play Games.*

The beta is set to include around 50 games at launch, including titles like Summoners War, Cookie Run: Kingdom, Last Fortress: Underground, and Top War, which represent a player base ranging in the hundreds of millions.

Of course, clever PC users have been able to run Android apps through emulators like Nox or BlueStacks, but running these in parallel with your OS can be incredibly taxing on your system’s resources, even though the minimum specs for running Google Play Games is remarkably low. Google has stated that the minimum specs for running Google Play Games on a PC will allow for just about any machine made in the past five years will be able to run its catalog with ease.

In addition to being able to play on a bigger screen, allowing for better performance, and not to mention additional control options, Google Play Games allows you to sync your progress across devices, letting you carry a singular save game from your PC to your mobile device and back again.

There are plans to expand the beta to include other markets sometime later this year, but no firm dates have been announced as of yet.

Steam’s new mobile app looks way, way better

I’ve been using the Steam iOS app quite a bit since getting a Steam Deck, but every time I opened the app, I had to deal with an interface that just felt old — the overall design hadn’t been updated in a very long time. It seems Valve felt that way, too, because it’s now beta testing a new version of the app that looks dramatically different and, if you ask me, dramatically better.

In a blog post, Valve mentioned the new design as one of the key new features of the app, and the improvements, at least in my brief testing on iOS, are immediately obvious. For example, the app now has a navigation bar on the bottom of the screen where you can navigate to things like the store, your news feed, and the Steam Guard section.

Thumbnails of some games in a Steam library on the new mobile app. — *The library view in the new app.*

A list of some sub-menus in the new Steam app. — *Look at those modern menus!*

But the app doesn’t just have a refreshed coat of paint; it’s built on a “new framework” and has some additional features. My personal favorite? You can now scan a QR code from the Steam Guard section to sign into your Steam account, like what you might be familiar with from Discord’s mobile app. Valve also says the new Steam app has “ smarter notifications, an improved Library, and multi account support,” and you’ll still be able to do things like browse the store and confirm any trades.

The screen where you can scan a QR code in Steam’s new mobile app. There are buttons to sign in with a QR code or with another code. — *Here’s the screen where you can scan a QR code.*

The news feed in the new Steam mobile app. The first entry is about Final Fantasy XIV. — *Here’s what my news feed looks like.*

Valve is currently beta testing the app on iOS and Android, so it isn’t widely available just yet. If you want to try it the beta, follow the instructions on Valve’s website, though if you’re on iOS, note that there are number of slots available due to Apple’s TestFlight restrictions.

Twitter’s Former Security Chief Accuses Company of ‘Egregious’ Practices

Twitter’s Former Security Chief Accuses Company of ‘Egregious’ Practices The whistle-blower also said Twitter had lied to Elon Musk, who is trying to back out of a $44 billion deal to buy the social media service.

mardi 23 août 2022

How Twitter’s whistleblower could boost Elon Musk’s legal battle

Peiter Zatko, former security chief, brought allegations of widespread security threats and spam concerns against the company

New whistleblower allegations of widespread security threats and spam concerns at Twitter may give Elon Musk ammunition in his fight to back out of a deal to buy the company.

On Tuesday, an 84-page complaint written by Twitter’s former security chief turned whistleblower, Peiter Zatko, alleged that Twitter prioritizes user growth over reducing spam, did not have a plan in place for major security issues, and that half the company’s servers were running out-of-date and vulnerable software.

Acer’s Vero 514 brings its ‘eco-conscious’ concept to a Chromebook

Acer is adding a Chromebook to its Vero lineup, which it says is meant to offer laptop buyers an “eco-conscious” option. Like the (rather disappointing) Windows laptop that came before it, the Chromebook Vero 514 is made using recycled plastics, has a chassis that’s 99 percent recyclable, and comes in packaging that’s 90 percent recycled paper, according to the company. Acer’s press release even suggests that part of the Chromebook’s packaging can be “transformed into a multi-purpose triangular laptop stand,” if you’re loathe to throw anything away.

Before we go over the recyclability, though, let’s quickly go through the specs — it weighs in at just a hair over 3 pounds, which is reasonable for a laptop with a 14-inch screen, and is powered by a 12th-gen Intel processor with Xe graphics. You can spec it out with a variety of processors, including the five-core Pentium Gold 8505 (don’t let the core count fool you, only one is for performance while the rest are efficiency cores), the Core i3-1215U, the Core i5-1235U, and a Core i7-1255U. Those are all relatively low-power chips, appropriate for an eco-minded computer, but if I were looking for a laptop I’d probably go with either the i3 or i5 and avoid the Pentium entirely.

*I will admit that I dig the recycled plastic look — and appreciate the inclusion of a 1080p webcam.*

The 1080p screen is covered in Gorilla Glass, which should make it feel reasonably nice if you opt for the touchscreen model. Its 300 nits of brightness won’t be enough if you’re constantly working in bright sunlight, but it’s still a step up from the 227-nit panel found on its Windows counterpart. The 514 should also improve on the original Vero’s color rendering; while the Windows model can only display 66 percent of the sRGB gamut, Acer’s promising 100 percent coverage for its Chromebook.

When it comes to ports, the 514 has a healthy selection — two USB-C ports, which can be used to fast charge the battery up to 50 percent in 30 minutes, one USB-A port, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. The computer also comes with a “flare-reducing” 1080p webcam.

As for the laptop’s ecological footprint, Acer says that the trackpad’s surface is made up of 100 percent “ocean-bound plastics,” while the keycaps are made of 50 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. 30 percent of the chassis’ plastic is recycled. While that’s not necessarily as impressive as, say, a $1,200 MacBook Air which has a 100 percent recycled chassis, it’s nice to see Acer providing relatively granular details like Apple. I wasn’t able to find any numbers backing up Asus’ claims that its Chromebook Flip CX5 has an “eco-friendly design” because of its “recycled materials built-in.”

Acer also claims that the Chromebook is easy to repair and upgrade, with standard screws letting you access the memory and storage (which you may need to do, given that the biggest SSD you can get with the 514 is 256GB). While that’s not on the level of what Framework’s doing with its almost completely repairable and upgradeable laptop, that computer is almost double the price; the base model 514, comes with the Core i3, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD, starts at $499.99.

That’s another improvement versus the Windows version, which starts at $700, and doesn’t provide a particularly great value at that price point, according to my co-worker Monica Chin’s review from last year. The 514 is also running ChromeOS, which is widely considered to be less demanding than Windows — that could help the 514 stay out of the landfill for longer, which is nothing but good news from an environmental perspective.

Overall it seems like Acer’s addressed quite a few of the problems we had with the original Vero laptop. However, I’d like to echo a note that Monica hit on in her review of that computer: it’s hard to consume your way to ecological responsibility, and if you do have to buy something it should last a long time. One option for those looking to get a computer that’s a bit eco-friendlier is to install ChromeOS Flex on an old Windows laptop purchased from a local used computer store or dug out of a closet (implementing the “reuse” step of reduce, reuse, recycle). But if you want something with a bit more modern hardware, including creature comforts like a fingerprint reader, Acer says the Vero 514 will be available at Best Buy starting in “mid-October.”

lundi 22 août 2022

Intel needs 7,000 workers to build its $20 billion chip plant in Ohio

Graphical illustration with Intel branding — Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Intel is building what it claims is the “largest silicon manufacturing location on the planet” in Ohio, and it’s going to need 7,000 workers to construct it, according to a report from the Associated Press. However, a labor shortage affecting the construction industry could make it hard to recruit the workers it needs for the $20 billion job, and competition for workers could slow the pace of homebuilding in the area which is needed to support the growing workforce that Intel’s plant is supposed to attract.

Intel first announced the Ohio project in January of this year and is on track to begin construction in late 2022. Once finished, the 1,000-acre site will house two factories, or fabs, and employ at least 3,000 people. But it has future plans to invest $100 billion into the project, expand the site to 2,000 acres, and eventually build a total of eight fabs, not just two. Actual chip production isn’t expected until 2025.

As noted by the Associated Press, Intel’s project won’t require all 7,000 workers at once, and this number might be only a fraction of the workers required to build the complexes that surround Intel’s factories. This includes a 500-acre business park built by VanTrust Real Estate dedicated to Intel’s suppliers.

Construction on the chip factories is expected to pick up speed now that President Joe Biden has signed off on the CHIPS and Science Act, which provides semiconductor companies like Intel with $52 billion in funding. In June, Intel delayed its groundbreaking ceremony for the new chip plant in a bid to coax Congress into passing the legislation. At the time, Intel said the “scope and pace” of its project depend on the money it receives from the CHIPS Act.

Intel’s project could face some setbacks due to the current state of the construction industry. Earlier this year, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), a group that represents construction workers that aren’t in a union, said the industry will need to attract 650,000 workers in order to keep up with the demand for labor. In July, the National Roofing Contractors Association reported a 20.3 percent increase in construction material prices from May to June when compared to the same time last year, something a nationwide construction supply shortage isn’t helping.

TikTok Browser Can Track Users’ Keystrokes, According to New Research

TikTok Browser Can Track Users’ Keystrokes, According to New Research In the web browser used within the TikTok app, supplementary code lets the company track every character typed by users. The company said the capability was for troubleshooting.

Watch this laser-guided knife throwing machine nail 10 in a row

It looks like something out of a video game, but this gadget is real: a portable, mechanical, computerized, laser-guided knife gun that actually throws spinning knives end over end through the air (via Gizmodo).

This isn’t some slingshot or spiral Kunai shooter that flings those blades straight ahead, oh no — Quint Builds set out to build a gadget that can accurately throw knives just like a pro, nailing a target 10 times in a row at different distances. That meant painstakingly calculating how to spin a knife the right number of times to land tip-first, again and again and again — and employing a homemade lidar laser guidance system to measure that distance and adjust the knife’s trajectory accordingly.

Otherwise, a knife might harmlessly bounce off the target... just like mine did so many times at the last Renaissance Faire I attended.

The final contraption dispenses upwards of 10 knives from an integrated, spring-loaded magazine onto an electromagnet attached to a carriage, which zooms forward along its track at 10 meters per second thanks to a pair of motorized belts, which are in turn powered by a pair of 36V hoverboard batteries. Once the carriage reaches the midpoint of its track, the electromagnet is programmed to release the knife — letting it hit a target up to 15 feet away.

I guess you can add “knife throwing” to the list of tasks where humans are becoming obsolete!