Новости за 15.12.2018

Earlier this week, stock-trading app Robinhood announced that it would offer a new feature to users in early 2019: a checking and savings account that didn’t have any fees attached to it. But after the feature received intense criticism, the company appears to have backtracked, saying that it plans “to work closely with regulators as we prepare to launch our cash management program.”

Hundreds of Koroks, the child-sized forest spirits that can increase your storage capacity, are hidden throughout Hyrule in Breath of the Wild. Everyone knows that the map is full Koroks, but you don’t really get a sense of how flush the map is with these critters until you watch an expert Zelda player collect as many Koroks possible, as quickly as possible.

If you’re looking for a nature documentary to watch this weekend, and you’d like some expert company, you’re in luck. The first season of the BBC Natural History Unit’s stunning documentary Blue Planet II is now streaming on Netflix. And, starting this weekend, fans have the chance to sync up their favorite episodes with a live Twitter commentary from ocean experts.

The holidays are just over a week away, though you still have time to buy gifts and have them delivered in time without gouging your wallet from expedited shipping charges. Best Buy is offering free shipping until December 25th, Target is shipping items for free until December 22nd, and Amazon will end its free two-day shipping for non-Prime members on December 18th.

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke will step down from his post at the end of the year, according to President Donald Trump, who tweeted the announcement this morning.

You could fill an entire library with books about the production of Star Wars. There are extensive making-of compendiums, behind-the-scenes reference guides, volumes of concept art, official biographies, narrative nonfiction, and more that are full of every imaginable nugget of information about how George Lucas created his universe. The arrival of a new Star Wars book is hardly news, but The Star Wars Archives — a new, massive tome from art book publisher Taschen — is nonetheless worth picking up. Читать дальше...

I finally got around to watching one of the movies I’d been most interested in seeing last year: Columbus, the debut feature from the film essayist Kogonada. It’s a deliberately slow, gentle movie that’s largely about two people talking through their problems while stuck together in a slow-moving town.

Just like that, 2018 has come to a close. I realize there are a few days left in the year, but the content industry is already well into its cycle of recaps and predictions, and readers can be forgiven if they would like to their attention to more festive matters to close out the year. Personally, I have a lot of shopping to do — but I’ll also be spending the time planning 2019. It’s going to be a big year for The Interface, and I need to spend some time away from Twitter to give it some shape. Читать дальше...

Futuristic transportation startup Arrivo shut down its operations this week, The Verge has learned. All of the company’s 30 or so employees were furloughed in late November, with about half being completely laid off at the end of that month, according to two employees who were granted anonymity because they signed non-disclosure agreements. Now, the Los Angeles startup is shutting down because it hasn’t been able to secure new funding, these people say. Remaining employees were informed Friday via text messages seen by The Verge... Читать дальше...

You would think that Amazon’s Ring home security system and Amazon’s Echo smart speakers would intelligently work together, right? You’d be mostly wrong — but today, the company is taking another small step towards tying them together by letting you arm, disarm, and check the status of some Ring, ADT, Honeywell, Abode, and Scout security systems just by asking Alexa to do so.

Roughly a year and a half ago, Regina Dugan, a former director for the US government’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, took the stage at Facebook’s F8 developer conference. There, she told the audience that Facebook was working on brain-computer interfaces that might one day let you type with your thoughts.

Back in 2013, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced plans for its own elaborate, interconnected universe based around Spider-Man. Among the planned titles: Amazing Spider-Man 3 (which never happened), Venom (which arguably shouldn’t have happened), and The Sinister Six (which hasn’t happened yet, though writer-director Drew Goddard would still love to tackle it). Instead, Sony went a different way, partnering with Marvel two years later to make Spider-Man part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe... Читать дальше...

Google just launched an aggressive deal that might be all many people need to outfit their house or apartment with Google Assistant this holiday season. For a limited time, the company is selling a Home Hub smart display and two Home Mini smart speakers at a total price of $129. The Hub ordinarily retails for $149, with the speakers going for $49 each.

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.

Amazon’s $29.99 Echo Wall Clock is now here to complete the set of minimalist Alexa devices (including a smart microwave and outlet plug) that the company announced earlier this year. Like some of those other products, the analog Wall Clock doesn’t actually have a mic for Alexa built in; it’s meant for those who already own an Echo. If you do, you can have it display timers, alarms, and reminders through voice commands.