TCL announces two Android tablets, new true wireless earbuds, and a smartwatch for seniors

Image: TCL

As part of its IFA 2020 announcements, TCL is today launching a slew of new gadgets including a pair of tablets, new true wireless earbuds, and a smartwatch for seniors.

The Android tablets are perhaps the most interesting products of the bunch, as the higher-end model features a 10.36-inch widescreen (2000x1200) display with slim bezels; it even comes with a stylus. The internal specs aren’t going to come anywhere close to something like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7, but the company is positioning the TCL 10 Tab Max as an excellent choice for watching videos or conducting video calls thanks to its dual far-field microphones. It’s set to ship in the fourth quarter for €299 (4G model) and €249 (Wi-Fi only).

Image: TCL

T...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3bpJpjj
via IFTTT //

Facebook will stop accepting new political ads a week before the US presidential election

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Facebook will stop taking new political advertising in the United States in the seven days leading up to the election, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said today as part of a series of steps the company is taking to protect against election interference.

“The US elections are just two months away, and with COVID-19 affecting communities across the country, I’m concerned about the challenges people could face when voting,” Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post announcing the move. “I’m also worried that with our nation so divided and election results potentially taking days or even weeks to be finalized, there could be an increased risk of civil unrest across the country.”

Candidates and political action committees will continue to be able to buy ads...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3gShTft
via IFTTT //

Apple to let app developers offer free or discounted subscriptions via offer codes

An example screenshot showing what it could look like to redeem one of the new offer codes. | Image: Apple

Apple will soon let developers offer discounted or free subscriptions via new offer codes, the company has announced. Developers will be able to distribute these one-time use codes physically or electronically, which Apple says could help them acquire new subscribers, retain existing ones, or “win back” lapsed customers. Apple says the feature is coming “later this year,” and will be available to customers using iOS 14 or iPadOS 14.

App developers have previously been able to offer discounted pricing or introductory offers for subscriptions on Apple devices, but the new codes should give developers more granular control.

Acquire new subscribers, retain existing ones, or “win back” lapsed customers

According to a new section added to...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/32TUC7X
via IFTTT //

Qualcomm’s 8cx Gen 2 5G processor promises a new wave of better ARM-based laptops

It’s been almost two years since Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8cx, its flagship ARM processor for Windows laptops, but at IFA 2020, the company is unveiling its successor: the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G, which promises some incremental improvements over the original.

Qualcomm wasn’t too forthcoming about what specific performance improvements the 8cx Gen 2 will offer over its predecessor beyond saying that it would provide “generational performance and efficiency gains.”

However, Qualcomm is very interested in showing that the new 8cx Gen 2 chipset is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with Intel’s traditional systems. It claims that the 8cx Gen 2 offers significant performance gains over both a comparable 10th Gen Core i5 chip...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/32Wax61
via IFTTT //

Qualcomm’s next budget Snapdragon 4-series chips could take 5G mainstream in 2021

Qualcomm is expanding its 5G portfolio to its budget Snapdragon 4-series chipsets in 2021, which will bring the faster networking standard to the cheapest range of smartphones yet.

Qualcomm has steadily been expanding the list of chipsets that it’s offered with 5G compatibility. In 2019, only the company’s flagship Snapdragon 8-series phones offered 5G support. (Even there, it was an optional addition only offered on a handful of phones.) This year has seen that lineup expand significantly, with the current Snapdragon 865 lineup requiring a separate 5G modem, along with cheaper options in the company’s 7-series and 6-series lineups like the Snapdragon 765 and Snapdragon 690.

But adding 5G to the next wave of 4-series chipsets could be...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2GtkDnn
via IFTTT //

The Acer Spin 7 is the first laptop with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G chip

Image: Acer

Acer has announced the newest iteration of its Spin 7 lineup at IFA 2020, and there’s a twist: instead of the usual Intel processor, the new model will be the first laptop with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G chip. It’s also Acer’s first 5G laptop.

From the outside, the new Spin 7 appears to be a modestly updated version of the current model, with slightly squared-off corners and gold accents. But the changes are more significant. The ARM-based Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 processor means that, in addition to supporting 5G (both mmWave and sub-6 GHz), Acer is also promising that it’ll offer “multi-day” battery life.

Image: Acer

Additionally, Acer is adding an active Wacom pen that offers 4,096 levels of pressure...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2YY8FrV
via IFTTT //

Qualcomm hopes to topple AirPods Pro with ‘adaptive’ noise cancellation for true wireless earbuds

Image: Qualcomm

Qualcomm is today announcing Adaptive Noise Cancellation for true wireless earbuds, which it calls “a new technology designed to deliver an improved user experience for earbuds with integrated ANC.” Adaptive Noise Cancellation will adjust sound performance in real time, according to the company, based on how the earbuds fit in a user’s ear. If the fit changes slightly, the Adaptive ANC will adapt to ensure consistent performance.

Sound familiar? This is almost exactly what Apple does with the AirPods Pro, which continuously adjust the level of noise cancellation 200 times per second. And the “adaptive EQ” feature of AirPods Pro automatically tunes sound output based on the shape of your ear. Qualcomm is trying to reach par with Apple in...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/34Yv8ZN
via IFTTT //

The new Philips Hue lightstrip mounts to your TV and syncs with what’s on-screen

Image: Signify

A new Philips Hue lightstrip is on the way, and this one is meant to be mounted to the back of your TV where it can flash and glow along with whatever’s on-screen. The Hue line has a number of lightstrips already, but this new one — called the Philips Hue Play gradient lightstrip — can display different colors across different segments of the strip, whereas the old ones were limited to a single color. That’s supposed to allow for a much more immersive effect when mounted to your TV.

You’ll need to buy some extra gear in order to make this lightstrip work, though. It requires a Hue Bridge and the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box if you want to use it on your TV, or the Hue Bridge and the Philips Hue Sync app if you want to use it on a...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2QMYZfF
via IFTTT //

Fujifilm breaks mirrorless speed record with new f/1.0 lens

Fujifilm has announced a new 50mm X-series lens with an unprecedented f/1.0 aperture. The XF 50mmF1.0 R WR is the world’s first f/1 autofocus lens for mirrorless cameras, according to Fujifilm, and marks the 35th X-series lens the company has produced. Its field of view is about 75mm-equivalent on Fujifilm’s APS-C sensors.

Fujifilm’s previous fastest lens was the 56mm f/1.2, which is the aperture that companies like Canon and Nikon also tend to top out at when designing autofocus lenses. While Canon did make an autofocus 50mm f/1.0 for its DSLRs at one point, it was discontinued decades ago. Nikon and Leica have made f/0.95 lenses before, but they only worked with manual focus. Large apertures allow the user to achieve shallower depth of...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/34WqRWZ
via IFTTT //

These students figured out their tests were graded by AI — and the easy way to cheat

Photo by Phil Esposito

On Monday, Dana Simmons came downstairs to find her 12-year-old son, Lazare, in tears. He’d completed the first assignment for his seventh-grade history class on Edgenuity, an online platform for virtual learning. He’d received a 50 out of 100. That wasn’t on a practice test — it was his real grade.

“He was like, I’m gonna have to get a 100 on all the rest of this to make up for this,” said Simmons in a phone interview with The Verge. “He was totally dejected.”

At first, Simmons tried to console her son. “I was like well, you know, some teachers grade really harshly at the beginning,” said Simmons, who is a history professor herself. Then, Lazare clarified that he’d received his grade less than a second after submitting his answers. A...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Z156kQ
via IFTTT //

Does Art of Sport Live up To This Fancy Grooming Boy’s Standards?

20% off Art of Sport Trial Kit (5-Piece) | Clip Coupon on Page

Read more...

from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/2DqLu28
via IFTTT //

Will Walmart+ Be Worth the $98 Annual Fee?

Yesterday, Walmart announced a new service to compete with Amazon Prime. The membership program, Walmart+, will be available to all customers on September 15. Here is everything we know about the service so far.

Read more...

from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/3lHDU4u
via IFTTT //

T-Mobile adds faster midband 5G coverage to more than 80 new cities and towns

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

T-Mobile on Wednesday announced a much wider rollout of its 2.5GHz midband 5G coverage, adding 81 new cities and towns to a total list of 90 markets throughout the US.

Midband 5G is much faster and more appropriately fitting of the 5G moniker than the type of low-band 5G we’ve seen from AT&T and T-Mobile and more reliable than high-band mmWave 5G, which is used primarily by Verizon, although AT&T and T-Mobile also have limited support. (mmWave 5G is ultra-fast but has poor range.) T-Mobile also has low-band and mmWave coverage, but the company is touting its three-layer approach of low-, mid-, and high-band 5G as its edge over the competition.

“This is our 5G strategy in action. Mid-band is the 5G spectrum, and T-Mobile has more of it...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3hN7mDL
via IFTTT //

These four 360Hz gaming monitors support Nvidia’s new low-latency feature

This is Asus’ PG259QN 360Hz refresh rate gaming monitor, one of the four monitors confirmed for later this year | Asus

Later this fall, Alienware, MSI, Asus, and Acer will each release a 25-inch 1080p monitor made for competitive gaming with an incredibly fast 360Hz refresh rate. Additionally, they’ll be the first monitors to include Nvidia’s Reflex Latency Analyzer feature that aims to help gamers accurately measure and reduce latency from their mouse, display, and PC. Nvidia discussed this feature at its launch event yesterday for its new RTX 3070, 3080, and 3090 graphics cards.

The end goal is that, by reducing latency, the odds of getting a shot off first in competitive play should greatly increase in your favor. And along with fast refresh rate and minimal latency, the monitor’s G-Sync feature will ensure that it doesn’t show any screen tearing or...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2QOgCvq
via IFTTT //

Wednesday's Best Deals: Intel Core i9-9900K, The Last of Us Part II, TaoTronics Humidifier, Sunski Blue Light Glasses and Shades, Ella Paradis Bundles, and More

An Intel Core i9-9900K, a marked down copy of The Last of Us Part II, a Domino Bishoujo Statue, a TaoTronics humidifier, a sale on Sunski blue light glasses and shades at Huckberry, a multi-surface steam mop, and a Sexual Health Awareness month bundle blowout at Ella Paradis lead Wednesday’s best deals.

Read more...

from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/35ay3Pt
via IFTTT //

Stop With the 'New Teacher Challenge'

In the latest round of What the hell has happened to humanity?, there are now parents on TikTok who are showing their kids pictures of disabled people or people with diseases that affect their physical appearance. And then they are pretending these strangers are their kids’ new teachers. Because, apparently, if a…

Read more...

from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/3bmbSXC
via IFTTT //

Apple, Google, and Amazon respond to European tech taxes by raising prices

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

For many years, Europe has been unhappy with the tax habits of US tech giants. As regulators and politicians have often noted, these firms make vast amounts of money from European citizens but pay a pittance in tax. In the absence of an overhaul of the global tax system, a number of European nations have introduced new taxes aimed specifically at these companies. And the tech giants are responding by passing on the costs.

Over the last month, for example, Apple, Google, and Amazon have all announced price increases for UK enterprise customers specifically designed to offset a new “digital services tax” introduced by UK government. This increases tax on any revenue produced by “search engines, social media services and online...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3lBF6WW
via IFTTT //

The Mandalorian’s second season premieres on October 30th

The Mandalorian will return with new episodes beginning on October 30th, Disney announced today on Twitter.

The announcement seems to indicate that the show will continue its weekly release schedule, much like the first season did. We don’t have a trailer for the new season yet, but expect that imminently now that we have a date. Hopefully, it’s full of adorable Baby Yoda — or, sorry, “The Child” — moments! The Mandalorian’s return to Disney Plus marks the first big show the streamer will have in months. Series like Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (originally set to debut over the summer) were delayed because of production issues brought on by the pandemic.

The release date isn’t entirely a surprise; Disney CEO Bob...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2EGrwkH
via IFTTT //

Panasonic’s Lumix S5 is a more compact full-frame mirrorless camera

Panasonic went in at the high end when it released its first L-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras last year, but today it’s announcing a more mainstream and versatile model. Like the $2,499 Lumix S1, the new S5 is built around a 24.2-megapixel full-frame sensor and is designed for both photo and video work.

The Lumix S5 is $500 less expensive, though, and significantly more compact. Here’s a picture Panasonic supplied of its current highest-end mirrorless cameras, including the Micro Four Thirds-based GH5 on the left, the videography-focused S1H on the right, and the S5 in the middle.

Despite the huge difference in sensor size, the S5 is actually smaller than the GH5. Panasonic says, however, that a new camera in the GH...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2QLrABM
via IFTTT //

How to Fix a Crappy Comcast Wifi Connection

I’m not going to begrudge anyone for using the modem and router that their ISP provides them. You shouldn’t—because you’re probably paying your ISP to “rent” a device that isn’t very good—but not everyone has the patience or inclination to understand the nuances of wireless networking, or even their monthly bill.

Read more...

from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/3hTeL4m
via IFTTT //

Add 'Nduja to Your Grits

Haters (people from New England) have said that grits are too “mushy,” but mush can be a glorious thing. Sometimes you don’t need texture or contrast; sometimes you just need something that’s warm, delicious, and scoopable. Sometimes (mornings), you don’t want to chew that hard.

Read more...

from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/2EGi7JV
via IFTTT //

India bans PUBG Mobile, Alipay, Baidu, and more Chinese apps

India is banning another 118 apps said to be either based in or linked to China. PUBG Mobile, Alipay, and Baidu are among the biggest names on the list. India banned TikTok, WeChat, and more than 50 other China-based apps in June, suggesting they were a security issue.

The country’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said that it had received complaints about apps “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.” The ministry’s announcement doesn’t mention China specifically. It broadly states that the action will “safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users.” News reports suggest the bans may be more related to e...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2EXgEyA
via IFTTT //

Lucid Motors says its electric sedan can hit a quarter-mile in under 10 seconds, smashing Tesla’s record

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Lucid Motors has been making a lot of bold claims in the lead-up to the September 9th unveiling of its first all-electric sedan, the Lucid Air: longest range, fastest charge, biggest battery. But today, the Newark, California-based company is truly laying its cards on the table with its claim to have built one of the quickest production cars ever made.

Not just one of the fastest-accelerating electric cars, mind you. One of the fastest-accelerating cars, period.

How fast? We already know that the Lucid Air can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and will have a top speed of 200 mph. But thanks to Lucid’s 1,080 horsepower, dual-motor configuration, the company now claims the Air can run a quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds “on a consistent,...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2QQBVMM
via IFTTT //

Fold, Flip, or Duo: the hows and whys of folding phones

I’m currently reviewing the Microsoft Duo and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 — they’re sitting on my desk right now next to another folding phone, the Galaxy Z Flip. All three represent different ideas for how to make a folding phone and all three are prohibitively expensive. Even if at the end of my reviews I have to go hunt down the socks they knocked off, I think it’s incredibly unlikely I would tell you to buy either of them — or the Flip.

That doesn’t mean, however, that I would harshly judge anybody who does buy one of them. That’s because these super expensive phones belong to a category that the smartphone industry has been trying to break into since before the iPhone: luxury products. Vertu once made a name for itself by encrusting...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3hUmBL7
via IFTTT //

JBL’s latest affordable Bluetooth speakers are waterproof and charge via USB-C

The JBL Go 3 (left) next to the JBL Clip 4 (right). | Image: JBL

JBL has announced new Clip 4 and Go 3 miniature Bluetooth speakers. Both have gotten a visual makeover from their predecessors, with a streamlined design and a few new colors available. The Go 3 will launch first in October for $39.95. The Clip 4 will follow in December for $69.95.

In terms of improvements, both speakers support Bluetooth 5.1 and have IP67 water and dustproofing. And instead of charging via Micro USB, which can be inconvenient, they feature a USB-C port. JBL claims the Go 3 will provide up to five hours of sound before needing to be recharged, while the Clip 4 can apparently provide 10 hours. Neither of those figures strays from the performance claims of the previous iterations.

The Go 3 costs $39.95, and the Clip 4...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/32Jr8ty
via IFTTT //

JBL adds noise cancellation and improved sweat resistance to its latest true wireless earbuds

Image: JBL

JBL isn’t a newcomer to true wireless earbuds, but today the company is announcing several new sets with noise cancellation at prices that reflect just how competitive the market has become. The JBL Club Pro Plus earbuds ($199.95) have adaptive noise cancellation and “a unibody design inspired by professional in-ear monitors” and offer JBL’s best sound quality with up to eight hours of continuous battery life (plus 24 extra hours with the battery case).

Like many other earbuds of late, they’ve got a feature for tailoring the sound output to your own hearing preferences, which JBL calls Personi-Fi. They’re IPX4 rated for water and sweat resistance, support Fast Pair for easy setup on Android, and either earbud can be used independently....

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2EQuYsL
via IFTTT //

Astronomers say they’ve detected the most massive merger of two black holes ever discovered

An artistic impression of colliding black holes | Image: Mark Myers, ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav)

Astronomers may have detected the most massive collision of two black holes ever discovered, a chaotic merger that occurred some 7 billion years ago, the signs of which have only just reached us. The cataclysmic event offered researchers a front-row seat to the birth of one of the Universe’s most elusive objects.

The distant show included two major players: one black hole roughly 66 times the mass of our Sun, and another black hole roughly 85 times the mass of our Sun. The two came close together, rapidly spinning around one another several times per second before eventually crashing together in a violent burst of energy that sent shockwaves throughout the Universe. The result of their merger? One single black hole roughly 142 times the...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/34UtOY0
via IFTTT //

Amazon is reportedly surveilling its Flex delivery drivers in private Facebook groups

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Amazon is covertly monitoring private social media groups used by Amazon Flex workers to discuss their working conditions. According to what appear to be official company documents discovered online by Vice, the retailing giant employs staff to track and categorize discussions in closed Facebook groups, public subreddits, and on Twitter. Some posts are then “escalated” to internal Amazon teams and company leadership.

As Vice notes, these reports are seemingly compiled primarily to identify and respond to complaints from Flex delivery drivers about things like bugs in the company’s app. But Amazon also appears to be keeping tabs on more sensitive discussions. Those compiling the reports are instructed to note the apparent sentiment of...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3hR8cPV
via IFTTT //

Samsung announces its cheapest 5G phone and new Trio wireless charger

The Samsung Wireless Charger Trio powering three devices. | Image: Samsung

Samsung has announced a host of new devices at its Life Unstoppable virtual event today, including the Galaxy A42 5G, which the company said during its presentation would be its most affordable 5G device yet. Alongside it, Samsung also announced a new wireless charger that can charge multiple devices at once, as well as a new Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab A7.

The Galaxy A42 5G is the latest in Samsung’s midrange A-series lineup. Samsung says it has a quad camera array on the back, a 6.6-inch OLED display, and will be available in black. It will launch later this year, according to CNET.

Image: Samsung

Samsung is billing the Galaxy A42 as an affordable 5G device.

Meanwhile the Wireless Charger Trio is a...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2ETAGdl
via IFTTT //

Twitter tries to explain trending topics

Screenshot: Twitter

Twitter will add pinned tweets and short descriptions to some of the trending topics on its service to help people understand why they’ve become popular. In a blog post announcing the news, the company said it would immediately start adding representative pinned tweets to some topics in the iOS and Android apps, and that these would be coming to Twitter on the web soon. Descriptions will roll out in the coming weeks, Twitter said.

According to Twitter, the new feature is designed in part to help the 500,000+ people who tweeted “why is this trending?” over the course of 2019. Although the trending topics section is designed to give users an overview of what people (and bots) are discussing on the service, in reality it’s often filled with...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2QNvJp2
via IFTTT //

Samsung announces The Premiere, a luxury ultra-short throw 4K laser projector

Samsung has announced its latest high-end home entertainment device: The Premiere, a new 4K short-throw laser projector that’s meant to be a viable alternative to the QLED TVs that Samsung usually focuses on.

The Premiere is the latest entrant to Samsung’s “Lifestyle” lineup, which includes other design-forward hardware like The Serif, The Frame, The Sero, and The Terrace. They’re products that are meant to blend into your living room, something that The Premiere takes to the logical conclusion by eschewing a screen entirely.

Billed as an “ultra-short throw” projector, Samsung says the projector can be placed directly in front of a wall or screen while still providing optimal results. It’s also meant to be an all-in-one...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2QPNbJi
via IFTTT //

ZTE announces world’s first phone with an under-display selfie camera

After teasing for a while, ZTE has followed through on its promise to launch the world’s first commercial smartphone with a selfie camera embedded in the display. The Axon 20 5G turns out to be a fairly mid-range device, aside from its headline feature.

ZTE says the under-display 32-megapixel camera has been made possible due to the use of “high transparency material that includes new organic and inorganic films” as well as optimized software algorithms to offset the impact on image quality.

Of course, it’s hard to judge this without seeing the phone in person and testing the camera in practice. It’s also questionable how much value the feature offers over a hole-punch, a pop-up, or even a notch. But we’ll see.

The phone...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2GbehIT
via IFTTT //

LG hints at dual-screen swiveling ‘Wing’ phone in new video

LG has provided the first public acknowledgement of its rumored “Wing” handset, said to be a device with two screens in a swiveling form factor. A teaser video posted to YouTube hints at the sliding mechanism and serves as an invitation to an announcement event on September 14th.

In a separate press release, LG says the new device will be part of an initiative and product category it calls the Explorer Project. The project is intended to “deliver much-needed curiosity and excitement to the mobile sector,” LG says, and “will focus solely on new usability that is discovered with innovative designs.” The recently released Velvet, meanwhile, will form part of LG’s “Universal Line.”

Reporting on the Wing so far has indicated that it’ll have...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2DlGSdF
via IFTTT //

This $30 Fountain Pen Got Me Writing by Hand Again

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen | $28 | Amazon

Read more...

from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/3bjqC9x
via IFTTT //

Biden campaign launches official Animal Crossing: New Horizons yard signs

Starting today, September 1st, Animal Crossing: New Horizons players will be able to deck out their island homes with official Joe Biden yard signs as part of the campaign’s broader initiative to organize voters online this fall.

Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the US earlier this year, campaigns like Biden’s have been forced to entirely rethink how they organize voters. Instead of in-person rallies, Biden’s team has opted for live-streamed events and fundraisers along with socially distanced productions and interviews. The entire Democratic National Convention was held virtually earlier this month, with most guests streaming in over video software like Zoom to deliver speeches.

The Biden-Harris campaign released four sign...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3gOPZks
via IFTTT //

Uber will require some riders to take mask selfies

Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

As its ride-sharing business continues to struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic, Uber announced that it will begin to require some riders to take selfies to prove they are wearing masks.

The company already requires drivers and delivery workers to take mask selfies as a prerequisite to signing on to the app. To date, Uber says that more than 3.5 million drivers and couriers have completed more than 100 million mask verifications.

Uber isn’t requiring mask selfies for all riders, but if a driver reports that a customer is not wearing a mask, the company says that rider will be required to take a selfie before using Uber again. And riders and drivers are free to cancel a trip, without penalty, if the other person isn’t wearing a mask.

...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2QHOwSq
via IFTTT //

Amazon Music now lets you watch artists when they’re live on Twitch

Image: Amazon

Musicians can now link their Twitch profiles to Amazon Music to let fans watch their live streams without leaving the music streaming app. The integration offers musicians a way to potentially reach even more people with their live streams, which — on Twitch, in particular — have become a go-to way to connect with audiences and earn money as the coronavirus pandemic limits their ability to tour.

After linking their accounts, a musician’s Twitch stream will appear on their artist page inside the Amazon Music app while they’re live, and a notification will be sent out to followers when they start streaming. Artists may also be included on a new “Live” page inside the app that highlights artists who are currently broadcasting.

Twitch’s...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3lC5j7O
via IFTTT //

Here’s how to preorder the $1,999.99 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2

Image: Samsung

You’ll be able to get your hands on the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 very soon. Samsung shared a lot more about its new foldable phone today, which you can read right here. Part of the reveal was that preorders open tomorrow, September 2nd, whether you’re looking for an unlocked model or hoping to upgrade with your carrier. And the phone will be available in less than two weeks’ time on Tuesday, September 18th.

Like the original Galaxy Fold, its successor is by no means affordable. It costs $1,999.99 unlocked, though you can break it down to comparatively smaller monthly payments if you buy it on a payment plan or pay each month through your carrier.

Samsung is making the decisions somewhat easy with the Z Fold 2. There’s only one...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/34UsWTc
via IFTTT //

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 will launch on September 18th for $1,999.99

GIF: Samsung

Samsung is announcing new details for its next foldable Android phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The main pieces of news are the price and release date: $1,999.99 in the US, with preorders starting today and shipping on September 18th. Samsung has also secured support for the Z Fold 2 from all three major US carriers: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. It will also be available unlocked at Samsung’s website.

Samsung’s entire strategy with the Z Fold 2 is to convince potential buyers that it has overcome the design problems of the first Fold with a glass screen, stronger hinge, and better protection against debris. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is technically the third iteration of Samsung’s folding design, and even more technically it is Samsung’s fourth...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2GfgiUt
via IFTTT //

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus will be available on September 18th

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Samsung announced a release date for its new Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7 Plus tablets. They’ll launch on Tuesday, September 18th, and preorders are opening tomorrow, September 2nd.

Prices start at $649.99 for the 11-inch Tab S7 that supports Wi-Fi and features an LCD screen with a fast 120Hz refresh rate. It’s quite nice, but if you want arguably the best screen to ever grace a tablet (up to this point, at least), you’ll need to pay $849.99 for the Tab S7 Plus with Wi-Fi support. That one has a gorgeous 12.4-inch 120Hz OLED screen. My colleague Dan Seifert had a first look with the tablet and said that “colors practically jump off the screen, and the blacks are as inky and deep as they are on the LG OLED TV hanging in my living room.”

B...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2ECbuZ3
via IFTTT //

How to Help Protect Your Home Against Wildfires

Now that we’re in the midst of a particularly active wildfire season, it’s a good time for a refresher on how to help protect your home against these natural disasters. Of course, a lot of this is preparation that needs to be done well before a wildfire hits, but there are some steps you can take immediately prior to…

Read more...

from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/3jDbZAX
via IFTTT //

The Perfect Cocktail Sauce Is Heinz With Extra Horseradish

After nearly three decades of eating (and making) shrimp cocktail, I have come to an inescapable conclusion: It is really hard to do better than Heinz cocktail sauce, especially if you add extra horseradish. I’ve tried fancier, more expensive brands of cocktail sauce, and I’ve made my own, but I always return to…

Read more...

from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/2QIzlsf
via IFTTT //

The Zendure SuperTank Pro is a great travel charger for optimists

Faster charging, more USB-C ports, and poor timing

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3lLqLrh
via IFTTT //

Ten years ago, Epic helped to legitimize iOS as a gaming platform with a small demo

It looks basic by today’s standards, but Epic’s Citadel demo was stunning in 2010. | Epic

On September 1st, 2010, Epic Games released its Citadel tech demo in the Apple App Store. It was a boring thing to actually play — you simply walked around a medieval town in first-person perspective, taking in the sights with no objectives — but this calm debut marked a big moment for iOS, the App Store, and Epic Games. It proved that developers could fit gigantic, richly detailed set pieces running on a smartphone and do it while utilizing Unreal Engine 3, the same engine that powered some of the most popular games in the Xbox 360 and PS3 era of consoles.

The devices of choice, if you wanted to get access to mobile games with impressive graphics, were suddenly just the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The Citadel demo didn’t come to...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3lLl3FR
via IFTTT //

Trump’s ban on Chinese drones is making fighting wildfires harder, says leaked memo

The US has been hit by one of its worst wildfire seasons in years. | Image: Dylan Bouscher via Getty Images

Last year, the US Interior Department, which is responsible for maintaining federal land, grounded its fleet of more than 800 drones over fears they could be compromised by Chinese spies. Now, an internal memo from the department leaked to The Financial Times says the decision is hampering the federal government’s ability to fight wildfires.

The grounding of the fleet led to a de facto ban on the purchase of Chinese drones and drones containing Chinese parts. This caused the Interior Department to cancel plans to buy 17 Ignis drones, says the FT. These are specialist UAVs used to start managed burns, a key tool in controlling wildfires.

28 percent fewer controlled burns by the end of the year

Without the drones, says the leaked memo,...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/31LNtap
via IFTTT //

How to watch Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080 event at 12PM ET / 9AM PT

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Nvidia is promising “the biggest breakthough in PC gaming since 1999” today with its GeForce event. The graphics card maker looks set to launch a new range of GPUs for PC gaming, based on the company’s new Ampere architecture. Rumors suggest we’ll see the RTX 3000 Series, with an RTX 3080 card and possibly even a Titan-style RTX 3090 flagship GPU.

Nvidia focused heavily on raytracing with its previous RTX 2000 Series cards, so it’s likely we’ll hear more about the advancements today especially as both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will support raytracing.

When is Nvidia’s GeForce event?

Today, Tuesday, September 1st, 2020, at 12PM ET (9AM PT).

Where can I see the event?

Nvidia will be live streaming its event over on Twitch, and the company...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2QG4IUv
via IFTTT //

Sonos patent gives possible first look at unannounced headphones

A couple of possible headphone designs are shown off in the patent. | Image: USPTO / Sonos

A newly awarded patent suggests that Sonos is still hard at work on its debut pair of wireless headphones, and gives us a look at their possible design and functionality, Protocol reports. The patent shows a couple of designs that look similar to other over-ear headphones from the likes of Sony and Sennheiser. It also mentions support for multiple voice assistants via wake words, as well as Sonos-specific features like integrating with an existing multi-room speaker setup.

There have been reports that Sonos is working on a pair of headphones for over a year now. In early 2019 Bloomberg was first to report on their existence, and said that the audio company was working on a pair of headphones that would cost over $300 and would include...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/32O4tMR
via IFTTT //

What Facebook should do about its Kenosha problem

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Today let’s talk about the controversy around a militia organizing on Facebook, the violence that followed, and where that leaves the company heading into this week’s planned visit by the president to Kenosha, WI, threatening to stoke more unrest.

Kenosha police shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back last week, leading to protests in the city. Two people were killed and a third was injured in a shooting during one of the protests, and a 17-year-old has been charged in connection with the shootings.

The afternoon before the murders, a 3,000-member Facebook group calling themselves the Kenosha Guard had advertised an event on Facebook encouraging an armed response to the unrest. It was taken down after the shooting. My colleague Russell...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2YUyjhs
via IFTTT //

Walmart tries to undercut Amazon Prime with cheaper subscription service

Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Walmart is trying yet again to take on Amazon Prime with its own delivery subscription service. The new service, which launches September 15th, is named Walmart+ and costs $12.95 a month or $98 a year, compared to $119 for Amazon Prime.

For that price, subscribers will get unlimited free deliveries from stores on orders over $35. More than 160,000 items are covered by this, including fresh groceries and household essentials. Walmart says these deliveries can be “as fast as same-day,” but it seems delivery speed will depend on what exactly is in each order.

Subscribers will also get fuel discounts at affiliated gas stations worth up to five cents on the gallon and the option to shop in store using Walmart’s Scan & Go mobile app. This...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/34RdDul
via IFTTT //

Twitter quote tweets are now easier to find

Image: Twitter

Twitter is officially rolling out its new quote tweets counter, which lets you easily see every time a given tweet has been retweeted alongside a comment. “Tweets about a Tweet add more to the conversation, so we’ve made them even easier to find,” the company said, also noting that the new counter will be shown between the existing “Retweets” and “Likes” labels.

The social network has been testing the feature for a few months now, with different names and user interface designs. It’s experimented with labeling the counter as “Retweets with Comments” rather than “Quote Tweets” for example, and it’s also tested hiding it in a sub-menu rather than showing it directly on the tweet.

Tweets about a Tweet add more to the conversation, so...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/32HXDZ7
via IFTTT //

Astro’s new A20 Gen 2 is its first headset made for the PS5 and Xbox Series X

Astro

Astro’s latest wireless gaming headset, the A20 Gen 2, is an upgraded version of the 2017 model. It will ship in October for $119, which is considerably down from the $149 that the previous-generation A20 was priced at. Despite the price cut, Astro says it has increased the wireless range from the 30 feet offered by the first-gen model to 50 feet, and it charges via a convenient USB-C port.

The A20 Gen 2 headset will ship in two different color mixes: blue, white, and black for a PlayStation-like vibe or green, white, and black for an Xbox look. Each includes a USB Type-A wireless adapter that lets it easily connect to the console their color mix corresponds to as well as a PC. Each headset can work with the other console out of the box...

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Gkhs1f
via IFTTT //

Asus Zenfone 7 Pro review: fun flipping cameras with a bulky phone attached

A big bulky phone with a 90Hz display

Continue reading…

from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/31KGSNs
via IFTTT //