extremetechlove: July 2019

Wednesday 31 July 2019

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of AMOS-17 satellite scheduled for Saturday - CNET

It will mark the Falcon 9's eighth flight this year.

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Scientists create fabric that smells better the more you sweat - CNET

Your gross workout gear could double as an air freshener.

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Pokemon Go has crossed 1 billion in downloads - CNET

Don't call it a comeback.

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Someone explain to Joe Biden the difference between a website and a text message short code

Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate In Detroit Over Two Nights

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

As Wednesday’s night’s Democratic debate came to a close, Joe Biden somehow confused and combined his campaign website and a text message short code in his closing statement.

“Go to JOE 30330 and help me in this fight,” Biden said in his debate night send-off, apparently asking voters to text the number to receive updates from his campaign. But according to a later tweet from Biden’s staff, you weren’t even supposed to text the word “JOE,” but rather “JOIN” to that now viral number.

Joe Biden either thinks he's going to be alive in 30330 or he has no idea what his own website is... pic.twitter.com/WqrZhquYmY
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) August 1, 2019

“With so much happening on the campaign, we want to make sure you’re up-to-date on...

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Dear Democratic candidates: Yes, I have a Google

The music's official over for Woodstock 50 festival - CNET

After Miley Cyrus, Lumineers, Jay-Z, Santana and more drop out of the music fest, the organizers pull the plug.

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Game of Thrones' finale script explains why Drogon melted the Iron Throne - CNET

The Iron Throne was melted on accident. No, really.

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Best Democratic debate memes, night 2: No malarkey! The protester chant explained - CNET

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris go at it. And go at it. Also, Andrew Yang says an Asian man who loves math is the opposite of Donald Trump.

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Motorola Moto Z4 review: The cheapest 5G phone you can buy but shouldn't - CNET

It's a midrange phone overshadowed by the Pixel 3A and the OnePlus 6T.

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Lyft yanks e-bikes from San Francisco after possible battery fires - CNET

Two of the company's rentable electric bikes appear to have burst into flames in the past week.

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Facebook says 'not our role' to remove content some politicians 'consider to be false' - CNET

Facebook rejects Australian political party's claim about fake news.

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T-Mobile tech chief throws shade at Verizon's 5G network - CNET

Neville Ray wants to see a 5G coverage map from the rival carrier.

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Motorola Moto Z4 review: The cheapest 5G phone you can buy but shouldn't - CNET

It's a midrange phone overshadowed by the Pixel 3A and the OnePlus 6T.

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The Motorola Moto Z4 looks like the dark and stormy type - CNET

The $499 Moto Z4 and the $349 5G Moto Mod make this the most affordable 5G phone besides last year's Moto Z3.

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Equifax settlement: How to pick between free credit monitoring and $125 cash - CNET

Take the money, right? Or is 10 years of free credit monitoring the smarter choice?

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Spotify subscribers, Apple Music's closest competition, hit 108 million - CNET

Apple, meanwhile, has 60 million.

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Second attempt to fly hoverboard across English Channel scheduled for weekend

Photo credit should read DENIS CHARLET/AFP/Getty Images

The inventor of the jet-powered “Flyboard Air” hoverboard will try to fly across the English Channel once again this weekend, after his previous attempt ended in failure. The Associated Press reports, via France24, that Franky Zapata will make the crossing attempt on Sunday, when he will try to make the 20 minute flight from Sangatte in France to St Margaret’s Bay on the south coast of England.

Although the route will be the same, Zapata’s team said the refueling station will be different this time around to try and avoid a similar crash to the one that occurred last week. The Flyboard Air only has enough fuel to fly for around 10 minutes at a time, forcing Zapata to stop to refuel halfway across the 20 minute crossing. Last time it was...

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Brain-computer interfaces are developing faster than the policy debate around them

Illustration by James Bareham / The Verge

A few days ago, Facebook disentangled itself from a nettlesome investigation by the Federal Trade Commission into how the company violated users’ privacy. And then, with that matter now squarely behind it, Facebook on Tuesday stepped forward to share some information about its effort to read our minds.

Two years after the company announced its mind-reading initiative, Facebook has an update to share. The company sponsored an experiment conducted by researchers at the University of California San Francisco in which they built an interface for decoding spoken dialogue from brain signals. The results were published today in Nature Communication.

The work itself is fascinating, as you might expect from the subject matter. Brain-computer...

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2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid second drive review: The best of both worlds - Roadshow

Porsche's third-generation Cayenne plugs in for extra performance.

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Set up Google Docs offline sync to keep from losing your work - CNET

It's fast, easy and will keep you from tearing your hair out.

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LG and Sony are struggling to sell smartphones

Even the launch of LG’s first 5G handset wasn’t enough to reverse its fortunes. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Both Sony and LG sold far fewer smartphones last quarter than they did the previous year, according to earnings releases from the two companies. LG reported that sales from its smartphone division declined by 21 percent compared to the same quarter the previous year, while Sony’s dropped by almost 30 percent.

LG blames “slow sales of 4G premium models and intense market competition in mass-tier products” which dragged down its results in spite of the launch of its first 5G phone, the LG V50. Meanwhile, Sony reduced its annual forecast for smartphone sales from 5 million to 4 million units for this year, according to Bloomberg.

These declining numbers are especially concerning given the high profile launches we’ve seen from both companies...

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Jaybird Vista review: Jaybird's next-gen true wireless headphones are finally ready for prime time - CNET

With design and performance improvements, the Jaybird Vista is a nice upgrade from the company's original Run true wireless model.

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The Jaybird Vista finally get truly wireless headphones right

Jaybird is back with another attempt at truly wireless headphones with the Vista, a redesigned model that looks to fix the various issues that held back the company’s Run and Run XT models. The new buds improve on the old ones in nearly every way, including more reliable connectivity, a lighter design, better battery life, and USB-C for charging.

Jaybird already released a pair of truly wireless headphones this year in the form of the Run XT, but they were a lightly updated version of the company’s original truly wireless Run model from 2017. They also stuck with the same design and all of the same problems that the first-generation model had.

I’ve been using the Vista for about a week as my main headphones, and so far, they have held...

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Tuesday 30 July 2019

Facebook says 'not our role' to remove content some politicians 'consider to be false' - CNET

Facebook rejects Australian political party's claim about fake news.

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Samsung teases new Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Tab ahead of Note 10 Unpacked event - CNET

It's going to be a busy week.

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Samsung’s profit cut in half on slow sales of memory and flagship phones

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Samsung Electronics has released second-quarter earnings results in line with its prior guidance, which is to say that they are not great. Operating profit fell 56 percent year-on-year to 6.6 trillion won — the lowest since the company had to deal with the fallout from the 2016 Galaxy Note 7 fire risk — while revenue slid 4 percent to 56.13 trillion won.

Samsung puts its troubles largely down to weak market conditions for its all-important semiconductor business, despite a slight bump in demand for memory. The situation is expected to improve somewhat in the second half of the year, though Samsung is warning of “external uncertainties,” likely a reference to the implications of various international trade disputes.

While revenue was up...

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LG updates Apple-endorsed UltraFine 5K Display with iPad Pro support

LG has announced an updated version of its 27-inch UltraFine 5K Display, the monitor that Apple endorsed as the best option for the current generation of MacBook Pros but which has been unavailable for some months. The new model boosts power delivery to 94 watts and now offers USB-C connectivity as well as Thunderbolt 3. That means it’ll work with the 2018 iPad Pro over USB-C, though it’s not clear what resolution will be supported.

Otherwise, the product appears to be basically identical to its predecessor, so our buying advice will likely remain the same. LG’s UltraFine Displays have extremely good panels and excellent native support for macOS features, even including True Tone when hooked up to a compatible laptop. But their...

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The Crab Nebula slammed Earth with highest-energy gamma rays ever seen - CNET

An immense star left behind from a huge explosion just blasted the Earth with extremely energetic photons.

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2 million want to raid Area 51 to 'see them aliens' - CNET

"They can't stop us all."

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How to make a GIF on your phone or computer - CNET

These are the best and fastest ways to create a GIF on your phone or computer without Photoshop.

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The Lion King remake closes in on $1B, beats original at the box office - CNET

Long live the King.

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Second Democratic primary debate: Candidates, start time, how to watch live - CNET

Bernie, Biden, Buttigieg, Harris, Warren and many others will take the stage in Detroit for the second Democratic primary debate. Here's how to watch it all without cable TV.

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Democratic debate 2019 memes: Bernie Sanders wrote the damn bill - CNET

Can we make Marianne Williamson US Ambassador of Candles? Here's what social media is buzzing about from the second round of debates.

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Twitter suspends a conspiracy-filled account after Trump retweets it

Marvel's WandaVision on Disney Plus: Release date, cast, everything we know so far - CNET

The new Marvel show will follow superheroes Scarlet Witch and Vision.

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Huawei reports revenue surge despite US ban - CNET

The Chinese phonemaker said its revenue grew more than 23% in the first half of 2019.

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Equifax settlement owes you $125 but the free credit monitoring might be the better offer - CNET

Take the money, right? Or is 10 years of free credit monitoring the smarter choice?

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Pixel 4's hands-free controls offer us a future we want but don't need - CNET

Google wants us to love the Pixel. Will we love it more if we don't have to touch it?

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It’s time to regulate tech platforms with laws, not fines

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

It was, in retrospect, perhaps not the best two weeks to go on vacation.

Each time I checked in with the news, there was some startling new collision between Facebook and democracy.

There was that $5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

There was that $100 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

There was an announcement that the FTC would open an antitrust investigation against the company. (Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes volunteered his help to build the case.)

There was an announcement that the Department of Justice would open up an antitrust probe against Facebook, Google, and other large tech platforms.

And that was only what happened last Wednesday!

(OK, the DOJ thing broke late the day...

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2019 Hyundai Elantra GT N Line review: A legit compact performer - Roadshow

The Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen Golf GTI have a new foe.

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One of the last remaining music streaming holdouts has relented

5th Rock en Seine music festival. Us band Tool performing live

Photo by Eric CATARINA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Alongside the announcement of its first new album in over a decade, the rock band Tool has said that its catalog will finally be available to stream and to purchase digitally on August 2nd. In an Instagram post first spotted by Pitchfork, the band said its albums would available on “all digital and streaming formats,” which is expected to include the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and Amazon Prime Music.

Until now, Tool has been one of the biggest artists to refuse to sell its music digitally. However, over the years the band’s position has become more and more isolated, as the likes of The Beatles, Metallica, AC/DC, and Led Zeppelin have all caved one by one and allowed their music to be steamed as part of a monthly...

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Huawei smartphone sales up 24 percent despite US crackdown

Nintendo continues strong Switch sales momentum ahead of new models’ release

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Nintendo has now sold 36.87 million Switch consoles after moving 2.13 million units in the April-June quarter, a 13 percent increase year on year. Operating profit for the three-month period was down 10.2 percent year on year to 27.4 billion yen ($252 million), while revenue was up 2.4 percent to 172 billion yen ($1.58 billion).

Nintendo has reason to be optimistic about Switch hardware sales over the next few months. August sees the release of a tweaked model with longer battery life, while in September the company is launching the Switch Lite, a significantly cheaper handheld-only version.

The $199 Switch Lite will be an important device for Nintendo, because its other entry-level option is essentially dead. The company shipped just...

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Sony has sold 100 million PS4s

Sony’s PlayStation 4 console has been a huge hit for the company, and it has now hit the 100 million sales milestone. Sony revealed in its latest earnings that the company sold 3.2 million PS4 devices in the quarter ended June 30th, meaning exactly 100 million have now been sold in total. Sony was previously sitting at 96.8 million PlayStation 4 consoles after the previous quarter.

While sales of the PS4 might be slowing down, it’s still the fastest home game consoles to reach 100 million unit sales, according to Daniel Ahmad, Senior Analyst at Niko Partners. That’s faster than both the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo’s popular Wii console. The PlayStation 4 reached this milestone after just 5 years and 7 months, and less than 3 years after p...

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Monday 29 July 2019

MediaTek announces flagship gaming-focused Helio G90 mobile chips

Taiwanese chip manufacturer MediaTek has announced its latest flagship processors, the Helio G90 and G90T. The chips include an octa-core CPU clocked at up to 2.05GHz, which uses the same ARM Cortex-A76 and A55 cores as the latest flagship processors from Qualcomm and Huawei. MediaTek’s chip also includes a Mali G76 GPU with speeds of up to 800MHz and support for up to 10GB of LPDDR4x RAM.

The G90 and G90T are the first SoCs (system on a chip) in MediaTek’s gaming-focused G-Series lineup. They include what the company calls its “HyperEngine” technology, which consists of several features that are designed to boost the performance of smartphone games. The chips support HDR10, and they also have an intelligent network prediction engine...

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Everything that happens in Avengers: Endgame's newly released deleted scenes - CNET

Some are good, some are... not so good!

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The best smart thermostats of 2019 - CNET

In search of a smart thermostat? Here are our favorites.

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Best headphones for running in 2019 - CNET

We round up an assortment of the best running headphones to help you get the most out of your workout.

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The best-sounding true wireless headphones of 2019 - CNET

A lot of people may be looking for cheap true wireless headphones, but if you're looking for something with top-notch sound, this is the list for you.

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Massive Capital One breach exposes personal info of 100 million Americans

Banking institution Capital One has just revealed that it’s suffered a data breach that exposed the names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, dates of birth, and self-reported incomes of approximately 100 million Americans, and 6 million in Canada, due to a “configuration vulnerability” in the servers of an unnamed cloud computing company hosting the bank’s data.

(Equifax, hold my beer.)

The hacker is already in custody, according to the US Justice Department: 33-year-old Paige Thompson, aka Erratic, who The Wall Street Journal reports is a former Amazon Web Services engineer.

But according to the complaint, the hacker may have shared some of the info on a private Slack chat server before being caught.

Capital One’s press release...

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The Lion King remake has already beaten the original Lion King at the box office - CNET

Long live the King.

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Scientists build a 'mini-sun' at a university campus to study solar wind - CNET

It's always sunny in Wisconsin.

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Friends 25th anniversary pop-up lets fans visit Central Perk and more - CNET

Your job's a joke, you're broke, but now you can make like Monica and Rachel this fall.

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You can now run Android on a Nintendo Switch

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

The Nintendo Switch can now run Android, giving the hybrid game console access to Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, Twitch, a wide array of Android apps, and loads of classic game emulators, of course. Specifically, it’s an unofficial port of LineageOS 15.1 based on Nvidia’s own builds for the Nvidia Shield TV set-top-box, meaning you can play Nvidia exclusives like Portal, Half-Life 2, and try Nvidia’s own GeForce Now cloud gaming service.

That’s right: six years after Nvidia tried to ape Nintendo by releasing a handheld Android game console, you can now load Android onto Nintendo’s own Nvidia-based portable. We’re coming full circle.

Not everything works flawlessly, according to XDA-developers, whose members contributed to the port and whose...

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Twitter board member Debra Lee to step down - CNET

Lee is the first black woman to serve on Twitter's board of directors.

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Capital One data breach involves 'tens of millions' of credit card applications - CNET

Data stolen also included 120,000 Social Security numbers and 77,000 bank account numbers.

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HBO's Watchmen TV series: Jean Smart playing Silk Spectre, trailer, release date, plot - CNET

Yet another hero from the graphic novel has crossed over to the small screen.

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Georgia police hit with ransomware infection - CNET

Laptops across Georgia State Patrol, Capitol Police and the Motor Carrier Compliance Division went offline Friday.

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GitHub restricts developer accounts based in Iran, Crimea, and other countries under US sanctions

Microsoft Acquires GitHub : Illustration

Photo Illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images

GitHub has begun restricting the accounts of developers based in countries that are currently under US trade sanctions. ZDNet reports that one developer based in Crimea has lost access to his private GitHub repositories, while another based in Iran wrote a Medium post about having his account restricted. A support page from the Microsoft-owned company notes that GitHub is taking action against developers located in Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria.

Acknowledging the actions on Twitter, GitHub CEO Nat Friedman said that the company “unfortunately had to implement new restrictions on private repos and paid accounts in Iran, Syria, and Crimea.” He stressed that public repos are still available worldwide and that open-source repos...

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Learn How to Tie Knots With 'Animated Knots'

Animated Knots is a perfect site for learning everything about knots: how to tie them, what they’re for, and how to choose the best knot for a specific job.

Redwoods, birds and microphones: The quest to save an endangered species - CNET

As it prepares to open a pristine redwood grove to the public for the first time, a California conservation group is using technology to protect the giant trees forever.

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For California's redwoods, climate change isn't all bad - CNET

Among some of the tallest trees in the world, warmer temperatures are making for faster growth than ever before.

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Saving California's redwoods, one tree at a time video - CNET

In an untouched forest in Northern California, Save the Redwoods League is using technology to protect some of the tallest and oldest living things on Earth

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French 'Green Goblin' prepares for next attempt to fly from France to England - CNET

Franky Zapata fell into the English Channel during last Thursday's crossing, but the company said he'll try again this week.

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What's Coming and Going From Netflix the Week of July 29, 2019

August is coming in hot with everyone’s favorite déjà-vu rom-com, Groundhog Day. Fittingly, this is not the first time Groundhog Day has arrived on (only to depart from) Netflix—and it won’t be the last, so enjoy it while you can. And as if Groundhog Day doesn’t provide all the Andie MacDowell we could ever want or…

Sony's X950G brings faster Android TV but isn't the best value video - CNET

This is Sony's least-expensive 2019 TV with full-array local dimming. Sony is the only TV maker with Android TV, which includes a multitude of apps and built-in Google Assistant.

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Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf Wi-Fi Speaker review: Ikea speaker makes Sonos multiroom magic more affordable - CNET

The Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf offers an excellent, affordable introduction to multiroom Wi-Fi music.

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6 essential Amazon Echo tips you'll use every day - CNET

Impress your friends with these Alexa commands.

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GoCycle GX e-bike review: fast, fun, and foldable

GoCycle or go home

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Samsung overhyped the Galaxy Fold, but it's our fault it was delayed - CNET

Commentary: Launching the Galaxy Fold before it was ready is a consequence of a Kickstarter culture and news cycles built around rumors.

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T-Mobile and Sprint merger gets the OK, Apple's 5G plans video - CNET

Today's tech headlines include the DOJ giving the go ahead for telcos T-Mobile and Sprint to merge, Apple's 2020 5G plans and the big winners in the Fortnite World Cup.

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Stop robocalls to your phone for good - CNET

Help is on the way to keep your phone from constantly ringing, but there are steps you can take right now.

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate new fighter details are coming Tuesday - CNET

We'll see how the Hero from Dragon Quest 11 plays, and find out when he'll join the Nintendo Switch brawler's roster.

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Here's everything that 5G can do for you - CNET

It goes way beyond phones.

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Oppo shows off ‘waterfall screen’ phone with ultra-curved edges

Oppo has released images of a new smartphone display design it calls the “Waterfall Screen.” While Oppo has released phones with curved screens before, like the Find X, the photos show how the Waterfall Screen takes the idea to the next level by extending the panel even further around the edges of the screen at 88 degrees. The result is a prototype phone with an unusually tall aspect ratio, at least when viewed from the front.

This undoubtedly looks cool, though it does raise certain usability concerns. It’s not clear whether the extra screen area will be touch-sensitive or whether Oppo is doing anything to avoid accidental input, for example. The phone’s edges also don’t have enough room for power and volume buttons, so Oppo will have...

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Sunday 28 July 2019

Aladdin hits $1 billion at the box office, The Lion King is right behind - CNET

And Disney just broke its own box office record... in July.

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Watch the moment Hayabusa2 grabbed rock samples from asteroid Ryuga - CNET

History in the making.

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The Expanse is getting a fifth season - CNET

We haven't even seen season 4 yet!

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3 smart gyms tested and rated: Peloton, ClassPass and Mirror - CNET

We tested out a bunch of exercise equipment to see what works -- and doesn't work -- in today's connected homes.

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Scientists create contact lenses that zoom when you blink twice - CNET

Me: Accidentally blinks twice while driving.

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The best smart speakers for 2019 - CNET

With smart speakers from Amazon, Google and Apple as well as third-party products from the likes of Sonos, we can help you choose from all the exciting options.

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I’m bad at Fortnite, and I’m okay with that

Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images

Fortnite is two years old this weekend, and has been the most popular game in the world for at least the last year of its existence. My friends and I began playing it last summer as it exploded in popularity; we saw the game go from its roots as a goofy add on to Epic’s player-versus-environment shooter to its current status as a cross-cultural social space that just so happens to have a battle royale mode. And while I’ve certainly gotten better at playing the game, I’m still bad at it.

Which is fine! Really. For me, the fun of Fortnite is when I’m playing well with my teammates and suddenly I’m fluent — suddenly my builds are solid and my aim is true. It’s a joyful thing for me, because it’s in those moments I realize I’ll never be a...

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This behind-the-scenes documentary shows how Oats Studios filmed its Anthem short film

Image: Oats Studios

In February, Neill Blomkamp’s Oats Studios released a short, live-action teaser film for BioWare’s open-world shooter, Anthem. That film tells a short story that highlights some of the world’s larger story elements, and features some great, live-action visuals that brought it to life. Now, Oats has released a lengthy behind-the-scenes documentary that showed off how it created the short film.

The 28 minute documentary shows off the incredible effort that went into producing that 3:45 short film: it involved elaborate sets, shoots in Spain and in Hawaii’s rainforests, suits of armor, and plenty of CGI and stunt-work.

In the documentary, Blomkamp also explains why he was attracted to the project: “it’s extremely interesting to me...

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Grasshopper swarms have Las Vegas feeling antsy - CNET

A huge migration of grasshoppers in Sin City is freaking people out.

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This cool new Google trick opens websites in a flick from your phone - CNET

Google Images holds the key to this simple trick.

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Congress takes another stab at passing self-driving car legislation

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Just when everyone had pretty much given up hope of getting lawmakers in our hyper-polarized nation’s capital to agree on a new set of rules for self-driving cars, Congress appears to be ready to try again.

Stakeholders in the autonomous vehicle industry had mostly given up hope of getting anything done this year, after the failure of legislation last year and the lack of action in the months that followed. But a bipartisan contingent in both the Senate and House have held five meetings in recent weeks to see if they can forge a deal.

The new bill is being written with input from both chambers in the hopes of avoiding last year’s breakdown. In late 2017, the then Republican-controlled House passed the SELF DRIVE Act, which would speed...

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18 movies to watch before you travel the world - CNET

Get in touch with your inner wanderlust with these films.

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How to recover from a tough workout - CNET

Forget spending hours in the gym. Your time may actually be better spent recovering.

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Apple might release two additional iPads models this year

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

It looks as though Apple’s iPad lineup will get a bit bigger. The company already has five different models of the tablet, but according to new regulatory filings spotted by AppleInsider, there could be two new tablets on the way.

Presently, Apple’s iPad lineup includes the iPad Mini, iPad, iPad Air, the 11 inch iPad pro, and the 12.9 inch iPad pro. The site reported earlier this month that the company had filed five models with the Eurasian Economic Commission, and this latest filing included two additional models.

What precisely those additional models will be aren’t clear, although the site speculates that it could be a refresh of the 9.7 inch iPad, possibly with a pair of 10.2-inch and 10.5-inch iPads that were rumored to be in the...

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Epix is developing a TV show about the Apollo 8 mission

Astronaut Frank Borman, mission commander, is shown during intravehicular activity (IVA) on the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission. This still print was made from movie film exposed by an onboard 16mm motion picture camera. | Image: NASA

Premium TV network Epix announced during its Television Critics Association panel that it was developing a six-episode miniseries about the Apollo 8 mission called Rocket Men, according to Deadline.

Epix didn’t unveil any other details, such as a projected release or cast. If it makes it into production, the show will be based on Robert Kurson’s 2018 history, Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man’s First Journey to the Moon, which came out last year in conjunction with that mission’s 50th anniversary last year. Set in 1968, the book explores the implications of the Apollo 8 mission against the background of the chaos that took place that year — high-profile political assassinations and riots — and...

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Delete Facebook the right way - CNET

Learn how to delete or deactivate your Facebook account and the steps to protect yourself before you do.

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Apple's Q3 earnings are all about the iPhone 11 hints - CNET

After iPhone sales have stalled over the last few quarters, Apple's looking to regain some momentum.

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Best cheap smart LEDs: Does it matter which bulb you buy? - CNET

Looking for a light bulb that you can automate or control with voice commands? You're in luck -- and you won't need to spend more than $8.

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Best smart lights of 2019: Bulbs, switches, colors, light strips, panels and more - CNET

I've spent six years testing out smart lights for a living. Here's the stuff I'd buy.

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Get a New Book to Read On the Beach During This Kindle Best Sellers Sale

Up to 80% Off Kindle Best Sellers | Amazon

Best internet providers in 2019: How to choose cable vs. DSL vs. satellite and more - CNET

Speed, price and the pros and cons of every type of internet service -- from dial-up to fiber to 5G.

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The world's largest military airshow is 245 planes worth of power - CNET

The incredible Royal International Air Tattoo takes place in the UK every July. I spent two days exploring.

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Galaxy Fold relaunches in September, but it's not the only foldable phone coming - CNET

As Samsung prepares for the Fold, these other companies have big plans too.

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Meet the mighty aircraft of the 2019 Royal International Air Tattoo - CNET

Massive cargo aircraft, fighter jets of the future, incredible aerial acrobatics and more at the largest military air show in the world.

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Wyze Bulb review: Here's an all-around great smart bulb for less than $10 - CNET

Bask in the light of the best smart bulb value we've ever seen.

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4 ways Apple will change how your browse the web on your iPhone and iPad - CNET

Using Safari is about to get a whole lot better.

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The 6 hardest truths we've learned about 5G - CNET

Including 5G's effects on your phone's cost, battery life and ability to deal with the heat.

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Saturday 27 July 2019

Minnie Mouse, Simpsons voice actor Russi Taylor dies at 75 - CNET

Taylor lent her voice to Simpsons characters Martin Prince, twins Sherri and Terri and German exchange student Uter Zorker.

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T-Mobile-Sprint deal wins Justice Department OK: What you need to know - CNET

The $26.5 billion deal has cleared a major hurdle.

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9 great reads from CNET this week - CNET

How Craigslist's founder wants to change the world, what the moon will look like 50 years from now, and why some see Facebook's $5 billion FTC settlement as a bargain.

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Should you switch to the new T-Mobile now? - CNET

With the T-Mobile/Sprint merger approved, the combined mobile carrier won't be an alternate choice when shopping for a US wireless carrier.

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Elvie's wearable breast pump feels like breaking out of jail - CNET

Wearable pumps won't fix your every breastfeeding woe, but they give moms some freedom and dignity back.

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Apple Watch vs. Amazfit Bip: The $80 smartwatch alternative - CNET

Not prepared to pay $400 for the Apple Watch? This budget alternative should be on your list.

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Mid-engine Corvette, new Toyotas, prototype tests and more: Roadshow's week in review - Roadshow

Here's what you missed for the week ending July 27, 2019.

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Lose your phone? Google can help find it or keep strangers out of it - CNET

Losing your phone is no longer the worst thing in the world.

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HP Omen X 2S' dual-screen laptop shows promise - CNET

It gets points for trying, but the second-monitor execution could use some refinement.

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Apple picks up Intel's modem biz, Galaxy Fold coming in September video - CNET

In this week's most important stories, Apple gets one step closer to 5G. Meanwhile, Samsung's flexible phone is slated for a September release after a delay.

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You can still get emergency help when your phone is locked -- here's how - CNET

We hope you never need to use this feature.

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Sony WF-1000XM3 review: A top-notch true wireless headphone with active noise cancellation - CNET

Yes, they're a little pricey and missing water resistance, but the WF-1000XM3 are among the best true wireless earphones of 2019.

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iPhone 11, 11r and 11 Max: What we're expecting from Apple in September - CNET

Every plausible rumor about the 2019 iPhone lineup to date.

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Instant Vortex Plus air fryer: Should you buy it? video - CNET

This $119 air fryer also roasts, broils, bakes, reheats and dehydrates, but is it a worthy addition to your kitchen? We decide.

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The HP Omen X 2S' second screen is just a perk - CNET

While the dual-screen support needs some polish, it's the icing on a well-designed laptop.

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OnePlus 7 Pro: How 'waterproof' is it really? - CNET

No IP rating, no problem.

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Sony XBR-X950G series review: Long on Google-powered smart TV goodness, shorter on value - CNET

Sony embraces the Goog with hands-free Assistant and fast, powerful Android TV streaming, but is it worth the premium?

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Put down the gamepad, these are the best tabletop board games for video gamers - CNET

These tabletop games combine real-world cards and dice with companion apps and video game themes.

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Pixel 3A vs. Moto G7: What's the best budget phone? - CNET

Bigger screen or better camera? We decide if the Pixel 3A or the Moto G7 is the best phone under $400.

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Google Docs offline sync is awesome, except... - CNET

Setup and sync your most important Google Docs for offline access in just a few minutes.

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5 details about AdBlock Plus every browser user should know - CNET

It's complicated. Eyeo, which makes the top ad blocker, is also an ally of online advertising.

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Friday 26 July 2019

Couples that play Mario Kart together stay together - CNET

A survey finds playing Mario Kart keeps the romance alive. And Call of Duty and Skyrim aren't bad for love either.

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Google's DeepMind is using StarCraft II to help train self-driving cars - Roadshow

The techniques developed to help DeepMind play the almost decade-old strategy game are now being used to quickly retrain neural networks for self-driving vehicles.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 pictures leak - CNET

The FCC has revealed images of what looks to be the upcoming smartwatch.

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Why you probably won’t actually get $125 from the Equifax settlement

Twenty Dollar Bills Are Printed At The Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

If you’re anything like me, you took off like a shot the moment you heard Equifax would pay you $125 just for filling out a simple form. Perhaps you even considered it a reasonable stab at compensation for the fact that the 2017 data breach exposed the personal information of 147 million Americans.

But the likelihood that you’ll actually get a check for $125 is increasingly slim — because the more people who sign up, the less money each person gets. In fact, there’s only room for 248,000 people to get that amount.

If 1 million people ask for the money, they’ll be eligible for just $31 each.

If every single one of the 147 million affected people sign up, they’ll be looking at 21 cents.

See, while Equifax has agreed to a $700 million...

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Robot cage fights and flying taxis: leaked documents reveal Saudi Arabia’s plans for its next megacity

A Saudi man chatting with a robot at an investment event in 2017. | Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images

The riches of Silicon Valley have enabled some extravagant and quixotic projects, but they’ve got nothing on what oil money can do.

A new report from The Wall Street Journal shares some of the proposals for Saudi Arabia’s biggest megaproject yet: a city built in the desert named Neom, where robots will outnumber humans and hologram teachers will educate genetically-enhanced students.

The details are stunning. It’s a mixture of dystopian fiction (AI surveillance cameras everywhere!) and childish imaginings (let’s build a robot dinosaur park!). Taken together, the plans remind of you what a dedicated nine-year-old can achieve in Minecraft. Yes, the scale and ambition are impressive, but it’s not like you could do this in real life,...

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Google is giving away 100,000 Google Home Minis to people living with paralysis - CNET

The search giant is partnering with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation for the promotion.

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Team Rocket brings Shadow Pokemon chaos to Pokemon Go - CNET

Prepare for trouble, make it double. You can collect and cleanse corrupted Pokemon after defeating the villainous goons in battles.

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MagicDock is a Surface-like dock for the iPad Pro

Apple has been gradually improving its iPad Pro with monitor support, USB-C, and even the ability to use a mouse with the tablet. All of these improvements have led to more of a need for a docking solution, if you want to attempt to use the iPad Pro as a desktop-like PC. MagicDock has appeared on Kickstarter, and it looks like one of the better iPad Pro docks we’ve seen so far.

It’s surprisingly similar to Kingston’s Surface Dock, and looks like it was at least based on the hinge design for Microsoft’s Surface Studio. Either way, MagicDock has some slight improvements over what is available on the Surface side. You can slot an iPad Pro in thanks to magnets, and it even rotates in place to allow you to use it in portrait orientation. It...

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Facebook co-founder aids FTC in antitrust investigation

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Facebook co-founder and outspoken critic Chris Hughes is working with regulators as they investigate whether the company should be broken up for violating antitrust rules. The Washington Post and New York Times both report that Hughes is assisting two prominent antitrust academics, and has met with the FTC to discuss its investigation into the social media company he helped found back in 2004.

Hughes involvement is significant. He’s already made the argument for why Facebook should be broken up. Now he can provide investigators with a list of people to talk with and give them critical insight into the motivations behind key Facebook acquisitions, even though he left the company more than a decade ago. This insight could be essential to...

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Avengers: Endgame rerelease's deleted scene features beloved Die Hard actor - CNET

The Marvel Cinematic Universe epic got new footage, but is it worth another trip to the theater?

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Crazy things I've made on a 3D printer - CNET

This is just a small selection of the random items I've 3D printed this year.

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2019 Audi RS5 Sportback is sharp but not shouty - Roadshow

With looks that err on the conservative side and a powertrain that just won't quit, the RS5 Sportback is definitely a keeper.

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5 things you need to know about the 2019 Lexus RC 350 video - Roadshow

The wildly styled Lexus coupe gets some visual tweaks and chassis refinements for 2019.

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2019 Lexus RC 350 review: Style and substance, but short on sport - Roadshow

The RC 350 is worth your attention, but don’t be fooled by its go-fast appearance.

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New Nvidia Shield TV box shows up at FCC

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

A new Nvidia Shield TV model is on the way, according to a listing at the FCC. The product is referred to as the “NVIDIA Corporation SHIELD Android TV Game Console P3430,” and has a Tegra X1 T210 B01 processor. That is, in all likelihood, the same Tegra X1 revision found in the new Nintendo Switch Lite as well as the updated Switch with longer battery life.

The filing comes after evidence of a new Shield TV variant appeared on the Google Play developer console last month. Not much else is known about what the new model will entail, or when it will be released. But the likely die-shrunk Tegra chip should mean it could be smaller, more power-efficient, or capable of running at higher clock speeds — or possibly some combination of the...

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Thursday 25 July 2019

SpaceX Starhopper blasts off in a smoky cloud of glory - CNET

Starship took its first untethered hop and left a fire in its wake: "Water towers can fly!" tweeted Elon Musk.

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SpaceX’s new test rocket briefly hovers during first free flight

Nissan to slash nearly 10% of its global workforce amid record low profits - Roadshow

The Japanese car company posted its worst quarter financially since the great recession.

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Marvel's Hawkeye Disney Plus TV series: Kate Bishop, Young Avengers, cast, release date, plot details - CNET

The show will explore Hawkeye's successor.

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Three new iPhone 11 models coming in September video - CNET

Design, screen size, camera, battery size and processor: here’s a look at every plausible rumor about the next batch of iPhones.

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Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes reportedly lobbying for break up of company - CNET

Hughes has been meeting with US government officials and regulators, reports say.

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2020 Audi S6 gets its US-market pricing, still no Avant though - Roadshow

The S6 gets the guts of the excellent RS 5 that we just reviewed in the body of a subdued midsize sedan, making it the perfect Q-car.

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Brave browser now lets you cash out your ad revenue - CNET

You'll have to identify yourself first, though. The feature is only in test versions of the ad-blocking browser for now.

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Russian tried to hack elections systems in all 50 states, Senate report says - CNET

There's no evidence any votes were changed.

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John McAfee tweets photos of jail stay, 'airdrops' bitcoin - CNET

He's giving away 5,000 bitcoin and 10,000 ethereum "to celebrate being alive."

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Equifax data breach: How to claim $125 right now in the settlement - CNET

You can file a claim to get $125 as part of the settlement reached between the FTC and Equifax

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Star Trek: Lower Decks -- All we know about the new CBS animated show - CNET

The USS Cerritos support crew gets to shine in a new Star Trek animation from Rick and Morty's Mike McMahan.

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Leak claims Vivo Nex 3 will have a screen-to-body ratio ‘over 100 percent’

The leak shows the glass screen covering of an unannounced Vivo handset. | Image: Ice Universe

Prolific leaker Ice Universe has posted a photo of what they claim is the outer glass covering the display of the Vivo Nex 3, the presumed name of the next phone in the lineup that’s traditionally been a technology showcase for the Chinese company. The leak shows what appears to be two panes of glass, with their edges curved around 90-degree angles to completely encase the front, back, and sides of the unannounced handset. According to Ice Universe, the handset will have “no hole” and “no notch,” and the phone’s curved sides will give it a screen-to-body ratio of “over 100 percent.”

If what Ice Universe says about the phone is accurate, it means that Vivo might be the closest phone manufacturer yet to deliver on Jonny Ive’s ambition to...

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This is how the fixed Galaxy Fold will look - CNET

And answers to other burning questions.

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Facebook hit with hefty FTC and SEC fines, DoorDash changes tipping policy video - CNET

Today's major tech headlines include Facebook's FTC and SEC fines, DoorDash's change in tipping policy and Netflix's cheap mobile-only subscription plan launching in India.

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French 'Green Goblin' fails in first attempt to fly from France to England - CNET

Franky Zapata fell into the English Channel during Thursday's crossing.

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15 Gmail keyboard shortcuts that'll save you time and make you look like a badass - CNET

Gmail's lesser-known shortcuts are also the most useful.

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Checking the tech in the 2019 Audi RS5 Sportback video - Roadshow

The RS5 might still rock the old MMI system, but old doesn’t necessarily equate to bad.

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2019 Audi RS5 Sportback is a goody two-shoes video - Roadshow

Audi's latest hi-po hatchback is almost too good for its own good.

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2019 Audi RS5 Sportback review: Goody two-shoes - Roadshow

This sport-heavy hatchback is practically too good for its own good.

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O2 finally announces 5G launch will take place in October - CNET

It was the only outstanding major UK carrier not to announce its specific 5G plans.

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Attempt to fly hoverboard across English Channel ends in failure

Franky Zapata started the flight from Sangatte in France. | Photo: DENIS CHARLET/AFP/Getty Images

A French inventor’s attempt to become the first man to cross the English Channel on a hoverboard has ended in failure after he crashed while trying to land on a re-fueling station in the middle of the Channel, BBC News reports. Franky Zapata, who invented the jet-powered Flyboard Air, took off from near Calais earlier this morning, and had hoped to make the crossing to St Margaret’s Bay on the English coast in around 20 minutes.

Zapata, who was not injured by his fall into the water, had previously indicated that he only thought he had around a 30 percent chance of successfully making the crossing. Nevertheless, his failure suggests that the difficulty of piloting the noisy Flyboard Air means it has limited practical use. The inventor...

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Game of Thrones prequel: A pilot has been shot. Here's everything else we know - CNET

You thought the game was over?

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Nintendo Switch gets Disney-themed console (but only in Japan) - CNET

Oh boy, oh boy!

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Wednesday 24 July 2019

Nintendo announces Disney-themed Switch for Japan

After sticking with the same hardware for what felt like forever, Nintendo has picked up the pace considerably for its release schedule of Switch variants. The handheld-only Switch Lite was unveiled a couple of weeks ago, a new model with better battery life is coming next month, and we also saw the first new Joy-Con colors in a while last week.

Now? It’s Disney time. Nintendo has announced a new Switch bundle for Japan that ties into the popular Disney Tsum-Tsum franchise. A new game called Tsum-Tsum Festival is coming out on October 10th and includes Switch-exclusive minigames as well as the ability to play a regular mobile-style game of Tsum-Tsum by holding the Switch vertically.

The Switch hardware bundle features a patterned dock...

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BMW's PHEV X5 xDrive45e and X3 xDrive30e will get their batteries built in-house - Roadshow

The Bavarian carmaker is keeping things in the family by expanding its battery production capabilities at its South Carolina factory.

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The best Game of Thrones cosplay of San Diego Comic-Con - CNET

From Cleganebowl to Daenerys Targaryen, here are the most impressive costumes of the Seven Kingdoms.

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Scientists discover 'plasma tsunamis' are responsible for sunspots - CNET

You can't spell tsunami without "sun."

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Every new movie and show on Netflix: August 2019 - CNET

Stranger Things is out and you've probably binged it already. What's next up?

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HBO's Watchmen TV series: Regina King character details, trailer, release date, plot - CNET

King plays Angela Abar, who may just be Hooded Justice from the graphic novel.

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Galaxy Fold: Samsung's foldable phone will launch in September - CNET

After reports of troubling screen issues, Samsung will finally launch the Galaxy Fold for real.

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SpaceX Starhopper test: Elon Musk's Starship prototype aborts launch - CNET

Hop, hop... nope.

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Samsung says it has fixed the Galaxy Fold and will release it in September

Samsung Galaxy Fold, slightly folded, top-down view

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Samsung has announced today that it has made “improvements” to protect the Galaxy Fold’s screen and will begin selling it soon. Four months after the company delayed the retail launch of the folding phone, Samsung now says the Galaxy Fold will be available for purchase at an unspecified date in September. The price is expected to remain $1980.

Here’s what Samsung says it has changed on the new version of the Galaxy Fold:

The top protective layer of the Infinity Flex Display has been extended beyond the bezel, making it apparent that it is an integral part of the display structure and not meant to be removed.

Galaxy Fold features additional reinforcements to better protect the device from external particles while maintaining its...

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A superbright fireball likely rained meteorites on the Earth - CNET

A space rock may have burned up over North America Wednesday morning and scientists want help looking for its droppings.

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Marvel icon Stan Lee could get a New York street named after him - CNET

Everyone better yell Excelsior while driving down Stan Lee Way in the Bronx.

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Dish reportedly agrees to $5B deal for T-Mobile and Sprint's wireless assets - CNET

The agreement paves the way for T-Mobile's merger with Sprint, according to Bloomberg.

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Google launches Gallery Go, a lightweight alternative to Google Photos

Video: Google

Gallery Go is a new app from Google designed to let people with unreliable internet connections organize and edit their photos. Like Google’s regular Photos app it uses machine learning to organize your photos. You can also use it to auto-enhance your pictures and apply filters. The difference is that Gallery Go is designed to work offline, and takes up just 10MB of space on your phone.

Gallery Go is just the latest lightweight version of an app designed for developing markets like Nigeria, where Google announced the new app. Facebook has produced “Lite” versions of the main Facebook app, as well as Messenger and Instagram, and Twitter has done the same with the Twitter Lite app. Google has even done something similar on the OS level...

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6 hard 5G truths that you'll have to face, too - CNET

Including 5G's effects on your phone's cost, battery life and ability to deal with the heat.

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Fujifilm’s first surveillance camera can read a license plate from 1km away

Video: Fujifilm

Fujifilm is getting into surveillance cameras with the SX800, a long-range surveillance camera with a 40x optical zoom that’s designed to offer security at international borders and large commercial facilities. It’s got a built-in lens with a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 20mm to 800mm, and an additional digital zoom of 1.25x. Combined, Fujifilm says this gives the SX800 a total equivalent focal length of 1000mm, which is enough to focus on a car’s license plate from 1km or roughly 0.6 miles away.

We’ve seen consumer cameras with support for more zoom than this in the past (Nikon’s P1000 has a 125x, 3000mm-equivalent zoom lens for example), but the difference here is that Fujifilm has equipped its commercial security camera with a...

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Reddit now lets subreddits design and hand out their own awards

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Today, Reddit is officially launching a new feature called Community Awards, which are new Reddit Gold-style medals that subreddits can design for themselves. The feature has been in testing on the site since April, but it’s now being rolled out to all eligible subreddits. The awards can be just as serious or silly as a subreddit likes. Over on r/iama for example, moderators have introduced a “Rampart” medal as a nod toward Woody Harrelson’s infamous AMA.

The Community Awards are an extension of Reddit’s existing awards, which started with the introduction of Reddit Gold. This original medal was a way for anyone to reward a fellow user for a quality post, while also generating revenue for Reddit. If you received Reddit Gold for a post,...

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DoorDash promises to change controversial tipping policy after public outcry

Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Food delivery company DoorDash has said it’s reevaluating how it pays workers after outcry over the company’s policy of using customer tips to subsidize base pay.

In a series of tweets, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said it had become “clear from recent feedback” that the company’s policies weren’t popular. Under DoorDash’s current system, tips left by customers via the company’s app are used to make up the minimum payment that DoorDash promises its workers. Many customers said they felt tricked by the policy, and had assumed that tips went directly to workers — not to help DoorDash’s bottom line.

Xu said that in the near future the company will change this practice. “[T]he new model will ensure that [workers’] earnings will increase by the...

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Google is making Assistant less chatty when turning off the lights

Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Google is changing how the Google Home smart speaker and Nest Hub smart display respond to voice commands about lights. Instead of repeating your command back to you, Google says the voice assistant will simply respond with a confirmation chime, so long as the device is in the same room as the lights you’re trying to control.

Google’s announcement suggests that the reason for the change is that the longer replies can be loud and jarring, especially late at night when you want to use your voice assistant to turn off your bedroom lights. The change will affect any commands you use to control your lights, whether it’s turning them on, turning them off, or adjusting their brightness.

The search giant says the changes are rolling out now,...

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Tokyo unveils 2020 Olympic medals harvested from old gadgets

After successfully collecting enough unused gadgets to extract the required amount of precious metals, the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee has revealed its Olympic medal designs exactly one year before the Games are set to start. The medals were designed by Junichi Kawanishi, who won a competition that drew entries from more than 400 professional designers and design students.

The medals are all 85mm in diameter, measuring 7.7mm at their thinnest part and 12.1mm at their thickest. The gold medals use more than 6 grams of gold plating on pure silver, the silver medals are made from pure silver, and the bronze medals use a red brass alloy made up of 95-percent copper and 5-percent zinc. IOC regulations mandated that the design should...

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Netflix launches mobile-only streaming plan in India for less than $3 per month

Netflix is launching a mobile-only version of its streaming service in India today. The lower-priced plan will cost Rs 199 ($2.80) per month, and it’s restricted to a single mobile device with standard 480p streams. While the new tier is only launching in India today, Netflix has hinted it would test the service in select countries so it could expand further in the future.

The new tier comes just days after Netflix revealed a mobile-only service would launch in Q3, following the company’s surprising Q2 earning results. Netflix revealed it has only 2.7 million paid customers globally, nearly half of the subscribers it was forecast to have at this point. Netflix stock has continued to drop over the past week, signaling broader worries...

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RED founder blames Chinese company for Hydrogen One problems and announces Hydrogen Two

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

RED’s Hydrogen One phone had a rocky rollout to say the least, and founder Jim Jannard has offered a partial explanation while announcing the first details on the device’s successor. In a post on the Hydrogen-focused H4Vuser.net website, Jannard blames the Hydrogen One’s unnamed Chinese ODM (original design manufacturer) for having “significantly under-performed” and making it “impossible” to fix the issues with the phone.

Now Jannard’s attention is on the Hydrogen Two as well as a long-promised camera module that will work with both phones. The Hydrogen Two is being designed “virtually from scratch” in partnership with a new ODM that is “clearly more capable of building and supporting the product we (and our customers) demand,” Jannard...

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Tuesday 23 July 2019

Jojo Rabbit first trailer releases Taika Waititi as an imaginary Adolph Hitler - CNET

Waititi tweets a first look at what he's been working on in between Thor movies.

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The very best cosplay we saw at Comic-Con 2019 - CNET

From Spider-Man to The Witcher to Dude Vader, here are the most mind-blowing costumes that invaded San Diego for the 50th Comic-Con.

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Facebook to settle with SEC after probe into privacy practices - CNET

The settlement could see Facebook fined over $100 million, The Wall Street Journal reports.

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Pokémon Masters on mobile turns collecting pokémon into a microtransaction

Image: Nintendo

Since Nintendo properties started expanding to mobile devices four years ago, we’ve seen a number of uncharacteristic experiments, including games branded with popular flagship characters that are nonetheless filled to the brim with microtransactions. And Pokémon Masters, the latest mobile title in the monster-capturing franchise announced last month, is no exception.

The game is developed by Japanese mobile powerhouse DeNA, the same company that helped Nintendo develop mobile versions for popular franchises like Super Mario, Animal Crossing, and Mario Kart. And for the first time, this is a Nintendo-affiliated title that’s being published by DeNA, and not by Nintendo itself. (The company’s representative was quick to point out that...

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E-bikes won't look so clunky with 2020 motor, battery upgrades - CNET

Electric bike powerhouse Bosch has new equipment for the next generation of road, mountain and cargo bikes.

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I watched the new Lion King without seeing the original and I have questions - CNET

Question number one: Who the hell does Simba think he is?

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Every Comic-Con 2019 trailer: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Picard, The Witcher, Rick and Morty, Cats, Top Gun, It 2 - CNET

Guillermo del Toro, Patrick Stewart, Henry Cavill, Taylor Swift, Tom Cruise, Pennywise. See everything here!

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Starbucks and UberEats are taking their delivery program nationwide - Roadshow

Soon you won't even have to go to the Starbucks around the corner to get your online order, it'll come to you.

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Thor 4: Love and Thunder: Natalie Portman, female Thor, LGBTQ plot details, release date and more - CNET

Everything you need to know about the upcoming Thor movie is right here!

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Nintendo will reportedly fix Joy-Con drift for free, even out of warranty

Facebook's Zuckerberg will reportedly shoulder personal responsibility for privacy issues - CNET

A settlement between the FTC and Facebook is expected on Wednesday.

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Project Loon has been in the sky for 1 million hours - CNET

Alphabet's remote connectivity hot air balloons have flown 40 million kilometers.

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Here are other moons worth visiting in person - CNET

NASA and Elon Musk want to go back to our moon, but there are a handful of other satellites in our solar system worth checking out.

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2020 Toyota Tacoma first drive: Small tweaks make this midsize truck even better - Roadshow

Toyota's venerable Tacoma gets a few welcome comfort and tech updates for 2020.

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Huawei ban: Full timeline on how and why its phones are under fire - CNET

Here's a breakdown of the embattled Chinese telecom and phone maker's saga so far.

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Equifax breach: How to claim your share of the $700 million settlement - CNET

If you were one of the 147 million people affected, it's time to prep your claim now.

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Libra scams are already proliferating on Facebook

Illustration by William Joel / The Verge

An investigation by The Washington Post has uncovered a dozen accounts, pages, and groups across Facebook and Instagram which misleadingly claim to be official hubs for Libra, Facebook’s proposed digital currency. In some cases these pages, which were only removed after WaPo reported them to Facebook, offered to sell Libra at a discount through third-party websites.

Given the proliferation of cryptocurrency scams seen in recent years, it’s not surprising that scammers have descended on Libra given its widespread attention. However, it’s far more surprising that Facebook doesn’t seem to have been prepared for the influx of tricksters on its own service, especially as it struggles to assure regulators that it’s equipped to handle a global...

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Apple files AR/VR patent, Equifax's FTC fine over 2017 breach video - CNET

Today's major tech stories include a AR/VR patent filed by Apple, Microsoft's 1 billion dollar investment in start-up OpenAI and Equifax's FTC settlement which could end up being as large as $700 million.

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