Новости за 07.12.2018

Xiaomi showed off a 5G version of its latest flagship phone, the Mi Mix 3, at a conference in China this week. In the demo, Xiaomi demonstrated how you can surf the web and stream live videos more quickly through the 5G network.

Apple has acquired artist development startup Platoon, reports TechCrunch. Platoon works with creators to produce and distribute their work, and it uses analytics to target audiences and build marketing strategies. Notable acts Platoon has worked with in the past include Billie Eilish and Jorja Smith.

Essential has acquired CloudMagic, pairing the struggling smartphone maker with the company behind the shut-down email app Newton, it confirmed to TechCrunch today. It’s a weird convergence of two underdogs, but makes some amount of sense when you look at what’s supposed to be next for Essential.

Google is bringing its Smart Reply feature to Hangouts Chat for G Suite, its workplace messaging platform. The feature is similar to Smart Reply in Gmail, and uses machine learning to propose three different replies to conversations happening in Chat. The feature is rolling out now to workplaces that are either now running extremely efficiently or have halted to a standstill.

The FCC said today that it will investigate whether “major carriers” provided inaccurate information on their coverage areas as the agency determined where to send funds for rural broadband.

In a developer blog post published today, Alexa AI director of applied science Ruhi Sarikaya detailed the advances in machine learning technologies that have allowed Alexa to better understand users through contextual clues. According to Sarikaya, these improvements have played a role in reducing user friction and making Alexa more conversational.

By the time Avengers: Endgame comes out, there will be 22 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you’ve skipped one or two, there may be some lingering questions after watching Endgame’s first trailer.

Australia just passed tough new legislation that requires tech companies to hand over user data when requested by law enforcement, even if that means building a backdoor into their encryption. The decision has huge implications for communications companies, not just in Australia but also across the rest of the world.

Once, studying dreams was the domain of mystics, prophets, and a certain sex-obsessed Austrian psychoanalyst. With neuroimaging techniques and better technology, dreams have become a focus of scientific research, from efforts to record dreams to studies investigating how lucid dreaming might be beneficial to mental health.

Pour one out for Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich: Google announced today that it’s dropping support for Ice Cream Sandwich for future Play Service API releases, meaning updates for apps on the older version of Android will likely be few and far between, via 9to5Google.

There are so many streaming options available these days, and so many conflicting recommendations, that it’s hard to see through all the crap you could be watching. Each Friday, The Verge’s Cut the Crap column simplifies the choice by sorting through the overwhelming multitude of movies and TV shows on subscription services and recommending a single perfect thing to watch this weekend.

Tonight, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) is set to launch its most powerful rocket — the Delta IV Heavy — sending up a secret spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from California. The mission will be the 132nd mission for the ULA, and the latest of many launches the company has done for the NRO, a significant customer of the launch provider.

In theaters on April 26th, 2019

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Amazon’s cashier-less Go stores have been slowly rolling out across the country, but the retail giant may be setting its sights on a different area for its next expansion: airports, according to a report from Reuters.

Yesterday, Walmart announced its plans to buy Art.com, a specialty e-retailer of art, posters, and wall decor. Art.com will continue to operate as a standalone site, and its products will be available on other recently acquired Walmart sites like Jet.com and Hayneedle.com. The deal is expected to close early next year.

This week on The Vergecast, Nilay, Paul, and Dieter are joined by Verge science reporter Rachel Becker to discuss what’s going on in the world of Juul — why it’s so popular, how addictive it is, and where it’s being restricted.

Tumblr users are on the brink of an exodus. In the search for a new home, many are pointing toward a relatively new and unheard-of website to house its orphans: Pillowfort.

The new Studio retains all of the looks of the prior model, but backs them up with useful upgrades

Tucked away high in the residential hills of suburban San Carlos, California, is a three-bedroom home with its own autonomous aerial security system. The house is no different than any other residence on the quiet street full of well-manicured lawns and spacious views of the Pulgas Ridge Preserve.

The Australian government has passed new legislation that would allow law enforcement authorities to force tech companies to hand over user information, even if it’s protected by end-to-end encryption (via BBC). The Assistance and Access Bill 2018 has been criticized by Apple as well as other technology companies and academics who argue that the legislation will weaken the data security of all Australians, with a reach that could jeopardize the data of companies, citizens, and societies around the world. Читать дальше...

Avengers 4 finally has a name — and for excited fans anticipating the end of Marvel’s current Cinematic Universe, a new release date.

The first trailer for Avengers 4, officially called Avengers: Endgame, has arrived, celebrating Marvel’s 10-year achievement in building its Cinematic Universe.

Sony, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Beats, and a whole lot more

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Epic Games’ new digital game marketplace, announced earlier this week and surprise launched during the Game Awards yesterday evening, has raised a lot of eyebrows in the industry. With its favorable 88 / 12 percent revenue split and Epic CEO Tim Sweeney’s pledge to better support creators, many in the industry are wondering whether this will be the game store that could truly rival Valve’s Steam, which has been the dominant platform for PC game distribution for well over a decade.

One of the joys of being a private company — and the reason why Elon Musk prefers these kinds of companies — is that you do not have to undergo close scrutiny by, variously, the Securities and Exchange Commission, short investors, journalists, and lookie-loos. You don’t have to open your books. You don’t have to announce certain kinds of news. So even though SpaceX is an older company than Tesla, by most measures, we know less about it.