I cannot emphasize enough how messed up this entire is. The latest twist is a deeply confusing set of executive orders banning transactions with ByteDance (TikTok’s Chinese parent company) and WeChat (a Chinese texting app). The legal dubiousness of this move is the least strange thing about it.But there is no use in dwelling on it. As of writing, ByteDance is in talks to sell TikTok to Microsoft. The only question worth thinking about is why this matters to ordinary Americans — more specifically, should we be afraid of Chinese apps like TikTok?In July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that...…I cannot emphasize enough how messed up this entire is. The latest twist is a deeply confusing set of executive orders banning transactions with ByteDance (TikTok’s Chinese parent company) and WeChat (a Chinese texting app). The legal dubiousness of this move is the least strange thing about it.But there is no use in dwelling on it. As of writing, ByteDance is in talks to sell TikTok to Microsoft. The only question worth thinking about is why this matters to ordinary Americans — more specifically, should we be afraid of Chinese apps like TikTok?In July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that...WW…

Filed under:CEO Adam Aron wants to work with the studiosAMC Theaters “most challenging quarter in the company’s 100-year history,” but CEO Adam Aron is trying to look forward, using the company’s second quarter earnings call today to address how AMC is going to compete in a streaming-focused world.AMC announced last week that it with Universal Pictures that would let the studio place films on digital rental services like iTunes or Amazon just 17 days after they hit theaters. Aron confirmed on the call that if Universal decides to take advantage of the shorter window, those movies will...…Filed under:CEO Adam Aron wants to work with the studiosAMC Theaters “most challenging quarter in the company’s 100-year history,” but CEO Adam Aron is trying to look forward, using the company’s second quarter earnings call today to address how AMC is going to compete in a streaming-focused world.AMC announced last week that it with Universal Pictures that would let the studio place films on digital rental services like iTunes or Amazon just 17 days after they hit theaters. Aron confirmed on the call that if Universal decides to take advantage of the shorter window, those movies will...WW…

Filed under:Microsoft is currently in talks to acquire the companyPresident Trump has signed a new executive order which will block all transactions with Bytedance, TikTok’s parent corporation, in an effort to “address the national emergency with respect to the information and communication technology supply chain.” It isn’t effectively immediately, but has a 45 day deadline.“The spread [of apps controlled by the Chinese government] continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” the order reads. “The United States must take aggressive action...…Filed under:Microsoft is currently in talks to acquire the companyPresident Trump has signed a new executive order which will block all transactions with Bytedance, TikTok’s parent corporation, in an effort to “address the national emergency with respect to the information and communication technology supply chain.” It isn’t effectively immediately, but has a 45 day deadline.“The spread [of apps controlled by the Chinese government] continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” the order reads. “The United States must take aggressive action...WW…

Filed under:Bob Behnken gives a vivid description of the plunge through the atmosphereAs NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley , the two said that the vehicle truly came “alive” when it plunged through Earth’s atmosphere. The capsule vibrated, jolted, and roared while the surrounding air heated up and scorched the outside of the vehicle — and the astronauts got it all on tape.“I did record some audio of it, but it doesn’t sound like a machine. It sounds like an animal coming through the atmosphere with all the puffs that are happening from the thrusters and the atmospheric noise,”...…Filed under:Bob Behnken gives a vivid description of the plunge through the atmosphereAs NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley , the two said that the vehicle truly came “alive” when it plunged through Earth’s atmosphere. The capsule vibrated, jolted, and roared while the surrounding air heated up and scorched the outside of the vehicle — and the astronauts got it all on tape.“I did record some audio of it, but it doesn’t sound like a machine. It sounds like an animal coming through the atmosphere with all the puffs that are happening from the thrusters and the atmospheric noise,”...WW…

A New Jersey police department is pursuing cyber harassment charges against five people in connection with a protest photo uploaded to Twitter in June. Complaints were served against the original tweeter and four other people who retweeted the message, alleging that they caused the officer to fear for the safety of his family.It’s an unprecedented use of anti-harassment laws, coming amid a nationwide law enforcement backlash against anti-police brutality activism. If successful, the charges would add significant new risks to political activity on social media, a key element in the ongoing...…A New Jersey police department is pursuing cyber harassment charges against five people in connection with a protest photo uploaded to Twitter in June. Complaints were served against the original tweeter and four other people who retweeted the message, alleging that they caused the officer to fear for the safety of his family.It’s an unprecedented use of anti-harassment laws, coming amid a nationwide law enforcement backlash against anti-police brutality activism. If successful, the charges would add significant new risks to political activity on social media, a key element in the ongoing...WW…

Filed under:Sometimes it’s easier to rewrite genetics than update ExcelThere are tens of thousands of genes in the human genome: minuscule twists of DNA and RNA that combine to express all of the traits and characteristics that make each of us unique. Each gene is given a name and alphanumeric code, known as a symbol, which scientists use to coordinate research. But over the past year or so, some 27 human genes have been renamed, all because Microsoft Excel kept misreading their symbols as dates.The problem isn’t as unexpected as it first sounds. Excel is a behemoth in the spreadsheet world...…Filed under:Sometimes it’s easier to rewrite genetics than update ExcelThere are tens of thousands of genes in the human genome: minuscule twists of DNA and RNA that combine to express all of the traits and characteristics that make each of us unique. Each gene is given a name and alphanumeric code, known as a symbol, which scientists use to coordinate research. But over the past year or so, some 27 human genes have been renamed, all because Microsoft Excel kept misreading their symbols as dates.The problem isn’t as unexpected as it first sounds. Excel is a behemoth in the spreadsheet world...WW…

With , Instagram is hoping to lure some creators away with the rollout of a direct competitor, Reels, which is launching in more than 50 countries today, including the US, UK, Japan, and Australia, on both iOS and Android.Similar to TikTok, Reels lets people create short-form videos set to music that can be shared with friends and followers and discovered while browsing the app. It’s the newest opportunity for Instagram to bring in users, increase the amount of time people spend in the app every day, and establish itself as a video entertainment platform.Reels allows people to record videos...…With , Instagram is hoping to lure some creators away with the rollout of a direct competitor, Reels, which is launching in more than 50 countries today, including the US, UK, Japan, and Australia, on both iOS and Android.Similar to TikTok, Reels lets people create short-form videos set to music that can be shared with friends and followers and discovered while browsing the app. It’s the newest opportunity for Instagram to bring in users, increase the amount of time people spend in the app every day, and establish itself as a video entertainment platform.Reels allows people to record videos...WW…

Filed under:They’re notFacebook has removed a post posted by President Donald Trump’s account for violations of its misinformation policy, the company confirmed to The Verge. The video posted was of a , in which the president claimed children are “almost immune” to COVID-19, . The interview also included Trump saying COVID-19 “is going to go away,” and that his view is that “schools should open” because “this it will go away like things go away.”A conduced by infectious disease experts at Children’s Hospital of Chicago found that , although there is still debate over whether children can...…Filed under:They’re notFacebook has removed a post posted by President Donald Trump’s account for violations of its misinformation policy, the company confirmed to The Verge. The video posted was of a , in which the president claimed children are “almost immune” to COVID-19, . The interview also included Trump saying COVID-19 “is going to go away,” and that his view is that “schools should open” because “this it will go away like things go away.”A conduced by infectious disease experts at Children’s Hospital of Chicago found that , although there is still debate over whether children can...WW…

Filed under:Do you have any information?The 2020 US presidential election , and in an effort to prevent the foreign election interference , the US Department of State announced today that it’s offering for any information that can identify someone who’s been meddling in a US election.Specifically, the State Department is offering the reward for “information leading to the identification or location of any person who works with or for a foreign government for the purpose of interfering with U.S. elections through certain illegal cyber activities.”Foreign interference is reportedly already...…Filed under:Do you have any information?The 2020 US presidential election , and in an effort to prevent the foreign election interference , the US Department of State announced today that it’s offering for any information that can identify someone who’s been meddling in a US election.Specifically, the State Department is offering the reward for “information leading to the identification or location of any person who works with or for a foreign government for the purpose of interfering with U.S. elections through certain illegal cyber activities.”Foreign interference is reportedly already...WW…

Filed under:Privacy tool Fawkes makes your selfies less like yourselfUbiquitous facial recognition is a serious threat to privacy. The idea that the photos we share are being collected by companies to train algorithms that are sold commercially is worrying. Anyone can buy these tools, snap a photo of a stranger, and find out who they are in seconds. But researchers have come up with a clever way to help combat this problem.The solution is a tool named , and was created by scientists at the University of Chicago’s Sand Lab. Named after the Guy Fawkes masks donned by revolutionaries in the V...…Filed under:Privacy tool Fawkes makes your selfies less like yourselfUbiquitous facial recognition is a serious threat to privacy. The idea that the photos we share are being collected by companies to train algorithms that are sold commercially is worrying. Anyone can buy these tools, snap a photo of a stranger, and find out who they are in seconds. But researchers have come up with a clever way to help combat this problem.The solution is a tool named , and was created by scientists at the University of Chicago’s Sand Lab. Named after the Guy Fawkes masks donned by revolutionaries in the V...WW…

Filed under:The company has turned off storing audio recordings for all users until they opt in againGoogle is returning to having humans analyze and rate anonymized audio snippets from its users. However, it’s also taken the major step of automatically opting every single user out of the setting that allows Google to store their audio. That’s why you might be getting an email today: Google would like you to opt back in to the program, and it’s trying to provide clearer information detailing what it’s all about.Those are very big moves that affect a huge number of people — though Google...…Filed under:The company has turned off storing audio recordings for all users until they opt in againGoogle is returning to having humans analyze and rate anonymized audio snippets from its users. However, it’s also taken the major step of automatically opting every single user out of the setting that allows Google to store their audio. That’s why you might be getting an email today: Google would like you to opt back in to the program, and it’s trying to provide clearer information detailing what it’s all about.Those are very big moves that affect a huge number of people — though Google...WW…

Filed under:A large-scale version of Starship finally saw some airJust two days after , SpaceX successfully flew a prototype of its next-generation, deep-space rocket in south Texas, sending the vehicle up to 500 feet and then landing it back down on Earth. It’s the largest test version of the massive spaceship to see some air.The prototype is that of SpaceX’s Starship, a spacecraft the company wants to build to transport people to deep-space worlds like the Moon and Mars. The final version of the spaceship would stand at nearly 400 feet high and 30 feet wide, and be capable of sending more...…Filed under:A large-scale version of Starship finally saw some airJust two days after , SpaceX successfully flew a prototype of its next-generation, deep-space rocket in south Texas, sending the vehicle up to 500 feet and then landing it back down on Earth. It’s the largest test version of the massive spaceship to see some air.The prototype is that of SpaceX’s Starship, a spacecraft the company wants to build to transport people to deep-space worlds like the Moon and Mars. The final version of the spaceship would stand at nearly 400 feet high and 30 feet wide, and be capable of sending more...WW…

At first glance, a Microsoft acquisition of TikTok seems a little unusual. Microsoft has spent years walking back consumer plays like the , the , its , , and more recently the . Microsoft has been favoring its enterprise software and services, and even Cortana has . How does a service that caters to dancing teenagers fit with Microsoft’s buttoned-up business demographic?If you dig a little deeper into Microsoft’s future ambitions, though, a move to acquire TikTok’s operations in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand could benefit many of Microsoft’s existing businesses while also...…At first glance, a Microsoft acquisition of TikTok seems a little unusual. Microsoft has spent years walking back consumer plays like the , the , its , , and more recently the . Microsoft has been favoring its enterprise software and services, and even Cortana has . How does a service that caters to dancing teenagers fit with Microsoft’s buttoned-up business demographic?If you dig a little deeper into Microsoft’s future ambitions, though, a move to acquire TikTok’s operations in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand could benefit many of Microsoft’s existing businesses while also...WW…

Filed under:But the design remains the sameApple is announcing updates for both the 27-inch and 21.5-inch iMacs. It’s updating the processors inside the 27-inch iMac to Intel’s 10th Gen Comet Lake processors and also switching out the webcam to a higher-resolution 1080p HD sensor instead of the low-res 720p found in other Macs. SSDs are now standard across the line, and there will be a bunch of new configuration options — including a “nano-texture” version with less reflective matte glass.The 27-inch iMac starts at $1,799, is available to order today, and will ship this week. The 21.5-inch...…Filed under:But the design remains the sameApple is announcing updates for both the 27-inch and 21.5-inch iMacs. It’s updating the processors inside the 27-inch iMac to Intel’s 10th Gen Comet Lake processors and also switching out the webcam to a higher-resolution 1080p HD sensor instead of the low-res 720p found in other Macs. SSDs are now standard across the line, and there will be a bunch of new configuration options — including a “nano-texture” version with less reflective matte glass.The 27-inch iMac starts at $1,799, is available to order today, and will ship this week. The 21.5-inch...WW…

Filed under:But it’s only got room for nine to 19 passengersThis morning, Richard Branson’s space tourism venture Virgin Galactic unveiled the design of its proposed supersonic jet. The company claims the final version of the vehicle could carry between nine and 19 passengers and reach Mach 3, or three times faster than the speed of sound.Virgin Galactic’s primary focus is its space tourism business, which strives to send paying customers to the edge of space and back on the company’s spaceplane. But for years, Virgin Galactic has also to develop high-speed, point-to-point travel. The...…Filed under:But it’s only got room for nine to 19 passengersThis morning, Richard Branson’s space tourism venture Virgin Galactic unveiled the design of its proposed supersonic jet. The company claims the final version of the vehicle could carry between nine and 19 passengers and reach Mach 3, or three times faster than the speed of sound.Virgin Galactic’s primary focus is its space tourism business, which strives to send paying customers to the edge of space and back on the company’s spaceplane. But for years, Virgin Galactic has also to develop high-speed, point-to-point travel. The...WW…

Filed under:Disney’s live-action adaptation gets a new release dateIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our .Disney’s live-action adaptation of Mulan will be released on on September 4th for $29.99, the company announced today.Disney executives walked through the new plan for Mulan’s release during an earnings call with analysts today. The $30 fee will be on top of the $6.99 subscriber fee for Disney Plus customers. Chapek also made it seem like non-subscribers can pay $30 for the film as well, but The Verge has emailed Disney to confirm.“We thought...…Filed under:Disney’s live-action adaptation gets a new release dateIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our .Disney’s live-action adaptation of Mulan will be released on on September 4th for $29.99, the company announced today.Disney executives walked through the new plan for Mulan’s release during an earnings call with analysts today. The $30 fee will be on top of the $6.99 subscriber fee for Disney Plus customers. Chapek also made it seem like non-subscribers can pay $30 for the film as well, but The Verge has emailed Disney to confirm.“We thought...WW…

Filed under:The EU doesn’t trust Google’s promises about dataThe European Commission is launching a into Google’s acquisition of Fitbit. EU regulators are worried that the deal will entrench Google’s position as a market leader in online advertising by giving the search giant access to data collected from Fitbit’s health tracking hardware that can be used for personalized advertisements.“The data collected via wrist-worn wearable devices appears ... to be an important advantage in the online advertising markets,” wrote the commission in a . “By increasing the data advantage of Google in the...…Filed under:The EU doesn’t trust Google’s promises about dataThe European Commission is launching a into Google’s acquisition of Fitbit. EU regulators are worried that the deal will entrench Google’s position as a market leader in online advertising by giving the search giant access to data collected from Fitbit’s health tracking hardware that can be used for personalized advertisements.“The data collected via wrist-worn wearable devices appears ... to be an important advantage in the online advertising markets,” wrote the commission in a . “By increasing the data advantage of Google in the...WW…

Filed under:New software, new manuals, and new proceduresThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a “preliminary summary” of its 18-month review of the Boeing 737 Max program, and with it, has detailed the remaining steps the company will likely need to take in order to allow the plane back into the air. Among the changes the agency is asking for is new software for the plane’s flight control computer and displays, a revised manual and enhanced training for flight crew, and new maintenance procedures. A few key issues remain unfinished, though, like finalizing a new pilot...…Filed under:New software, new manuals, and new proceduresThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a “preliminary summary” of its 18-month review of the Boeing 737 Max program, and with it, has detailed the remaining steps the company will likely need to take in order to allow the plane back into the air. Among the changes the agency is asking for is new software for the plane’s flight control computer and displays, a revised manual and enhanced training for flight crew, and new maintenance procedures. A few key issues remain unfinished, though, like finalizing a new pilot...WW…

Filed under:The EV funding frenzy rolls onOne-year-old Lordstown Motors will become a publicly traded company in an effort to bring its commercial electric pickup truck, the Endurance, to market. And it will do this with more support from General Motors than was previously known, according to financial filings.The startup plans to list on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker “RIDE” by combining with a special purpose acquisition company called DiamondPeak, shares of which already trade on the exchange. It’s the same type of “reverse merger” move that hydrogen trucking company Nikola...…Filed under:The EV funding frenzy rolls onOne-year-old Lordstown Motors will become a publicly traded company in an effort to bring its commercial electric pickup truck, the Endurance, to market. And it will do this with more support from General Motors than was previously known, according to financial filings.The startup plans to list on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker “RIDE” by combining with a special purpose acquisition company called DiamondPeak, shares of which already trade on the exchange. It’s the same type of “reverse merger” move that hydrogen trucking company Nikola...WW…

Filed under:Talks are expected to be completed by September 15thIn a blog post Sunday, it was “prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States,” following a conversation between its CEO Satya Nadella and President Trump. It’s the first time the company has the video sharing platform.“Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury,” the blog post...…Filed under:Talks are expected to be completed by September 15thIn a blog post Sunday, it was “prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States,” following a conversation between its CEO Satya Nadella and President Trump. It’s the first time the company has the video sharing platform.“Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury,” the blog post...WW…

Filed under:The 12 accounts are accused of spreading false information about Brazilian judgesFacebook has blocked the accounts of a dozen allies of President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, . Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered the 12 accounts blocked back in May, as they are under investigation for allegedly spreading false news about judges in the country. A Supreme Court judge said Friday that Facebook had not fully complied with that earlier order.A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge that the company had complied with the order, which it called “extreme” by “restricting the...…Filed under:The 12 accounts are accused of spreading false information about Brazilian judgesFacebook has blocked the accounts of a dozen allies of President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, . Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered the 12 accounts blocked back in May, as they are under investigation for allegedly spreading false news about judges in the country. A Supreme Court judge said Friday that Facebook had not fully complied with that earlier order.A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge that the company had complied with the order, which it called “extreme” by “restricting the...WW…

Filed under:Stream up to 0.5 times slower or 1.5 times fasterNetflix is letting people choose the speed at which they want to watch something on their phone or tablet with new playback controls.Netflix will allow anyone on an Android mobile device to stream at either 0.5x or 0.75x speeds for slowed-down viewing and 1.25x or 1.5x speeds for faster watching. Those are slightly fewer options than YouTube, which allows people to slow all the way down to 0.25x speeds, and speed up by twice the normal playback speed. Playback speed options are also available on downloaded titles that people have...…Filed under:Stream up to 0.5 times slower or 1.5 times fasterNetflix is letting people choose the speed at which they want to watch something on their phone or tablet with new playback controls.Netflix will allow anyone on an Android mobile device to stream at either 0.5x or 0.75x speeds for slowed-down viewing and 1.25x or 1.5x speeds for faster watching. Those are slightly fewer options than YouTube, which allows people to slow all the way down to 0.25x speeds, and speed up by twice the normal playback speed. Playback speed options are also available on downloaded titles that people have...WW…

Filed under:The Trump administration had threatened to ban the app for weeksTikTok parent company ByteDance has reportedly agreed to sell its American operations to prevent the Trump administration from banning it in the US, according to .It was not clear Saturday how the deal would involve Microsoft, or whether it would stave off a ban, but Reuters reported that Microsoft would be in charge of protecting US user data, and that the plan would allow another American company to take over TikTok in the US.The administration has threatened to ban the video-sharing app for several weeks;...…Filed under:The Trump administration had threatened to ban the app for weeksTikTok parent company ByteDance has reportedly agreed to sell its American operations to prevent the Trump administration from banning it in the US, according to .It was not clear Saturday how the deal would involve Microsoft, or whether it would stave off a ban, but Reuters reported that Microsoft would be in charge of protecting US user data, and that the plan would allow another American company to take over TikTok in the US.The administration has threatened to ban the video-sharing app for several weeks;...WW…

Filed under:ARM could be getting a new ownerSoftBank has been — the British chip designer that powers nearly every major mobile processor from companies like Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung, and Huawei — and now, it might have found a buyer. Nvidia is reportedly in “advanced talks” to buy ARM in a deal worth over $32 billion, .Nvidia is said to be the only company that’s involved in concrete discussions with SoftBank for the purchase at this time, and a deal could arrive “in the next few weeks,” although nothing is finalized yet. If the deal does go through, it would be one of the largest deals...…Filed under:ARM could be getting a new ownerSoftBank has been — the British chip designer that powers nearly every major mobile processor from companies like Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung, and Huawei — and now, it might have found a buyer. Nvidia is reportedly in “advanced talks” to buy ARM in a deal worth over $32 billion, .Nvidia is said to be the only company that’s involved in concrete discussions with SoftBank for the purchase at this time, and a deal could arrive “in the next few weeks,” although nothing is finalized yet. If the deal does go through, it would be one of the largest deals...WW…

Google revealed earlier this year that it’s planning to support Windows applications on Chromebooks thanks to a partnership with Parallels. It’s a , providing businesses the option to run existing desktop apps on Google’s range of lightweight Chromebook devices. In an exclusive interview with The Verge, Google is now detailing how and why Windows apps are arriving on Chrome OS.Google wants to give you access to Windows apps when you really need them, as a hop in and out experience. “The analogy I give is that yes, the world is all state of the art and Dolby Atmos home theaters, but every...…Google revealed earlier this year that it’s planning to support Windows applications on Chromebooks thanks to a partnership with Parallels. It’s a , providing businesses the option to run existing desktop apps on Google’s range of lightweight Chromebook devices. In an exclusive interview with The Verge, Google is now detailing how and why Windows apps are arriving on Chrome OS.Google wants to give you access to Windows apps when you really need them, as a hop in and out experience. “The analogy I give is that yes, the world is all state of the art and Dolby Atmos home theaters, but every...WW…