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Friday, 13 December 2019

Microsoft’s next Xbox is Xbox Series X, coming holiday 2020

Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox is officially called Xbox Series X. Microsoft revealed the name and console design on stage at the Game Awards today. The console itself looks far more like a PC than we’ve seen from previous Xbox consoles, and Microsoft’s trailer provides a brief glimpse at the new design.

Microsoft used the Xbox Series X to showcase Hellbade 2, a new game from Ninja Theory that is being developed for its next Xbox console. While Microsoft has revealed the design here, the company isn’t revealing exact specs beyond what has been discussed previously.

Xbox Series X will include a custom-designed CPU based on AMD’s Zen 2 and Radeon RDNA architecture. Microsoft is also using an SSD on Xbox Series X, which...

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The Expanse season 4 just arrived on Amazon Prime hours ahead of schedule

For a while there, it seemed like beloved sci-fi show The Expanse might have been coming to an end, when Syfy decided not to renew it for a fourth season. But last May, Amazon stepped in — and right now, you can judge for yourself how well that decision panned out, because the ten-episode fourth season of The Expanse is now available to stream in its entirety on Amazon Prime.

“damn there goes my weekend,” one Verge editor exclaimed in Slack chat, when I mentioned the news. (I’m not free this weekend, so maybe I’ll start today.)

In our review of the first six episodes, we called it “very much the same show,” and said it “feels like the beginning of a grand second act.” So it may start a little slow — though it’ll pick up right where we...

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John Legere reveals how close Dish and T-Mobile were to merging - CNET

Before there was Sprint, T-Mobile was looking into partnering with Dish.

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'Fortnite' adds a Rey skin, TIE fighter and more 'Star Wars' goodies


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Amazon just released 'The Expanse' season four a few hours early


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Samuel L. Jackson has arrived on Alexa devices


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Rey and Finn Rise of The Skywalker skins now available in Fortnite - CNET

May the Force win you a Victory Royale.

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The Game Awards 2019: Live results, world premieres, reveals and surprises - CNET

We're live with all The Game Awards winners (and losers (and trailers (and surprises!)))

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Europe’s Green Deal on climate change failed its first test 

BELGIUM-EU-ENVIRONMENT-SUMMIT-DEMO Photo by ARIS OIKONOMOU/AFP via Getty Images

In a stunning disappointment to environmentalists, a bid to cut the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions to nearly zero by 2050 flopped at a key summit in Brussels. Today’s decision was the first test of whether the newly proposed European Green Deal — which promises to totally overhaul the continent’s economy — might turn into real action on climate change. Just one country, Poland, was the hold-out on the deal.

The Council released its final conclusions that said that while it supports the 2050 goal, “one member state at this stage cannot commit to implement this objective as far as it is concerned, and the European Council will come back to this in June 2020.”

The outcome in Brussels today signals a tough road ahead to secure...

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Mashup star DJ Earworm ends his decade with two new compilations and a promise

When “United State of Pop: Blame it on the Pop” debuted in 2009, DJ Earworm skyrocketed to stardom online. The nearly five-minute mashup from Jordan “DJ Earworm” Roseman used Billboard’s most popular 25 songs of the year to go beyond the bounds of typical viral success on YouTube. It was played on the radio, and found its own spot on top played lists. People became obsessed with Roseman’s unquestionable bop. Two years after his first stab at “United State of Pop” in 2007, Roseman had arrived.

For the next 10 years, Roseman would produce a song at the end of every year that people looked forward to, releasing it on YouTube with a corresponding video mashup. Some years were less polished than others, but Roseman never failed to make songs...

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Apple narrowly avoids next round of tariffs as US, China reach trade deal

All of Tim Cook's lobbying seems to have paid off.

What you need to know

  • Apple has avoided the 15% tariff hike on the iPhone, iPad, and Macbook.
  • The United States and China have reportedly reached a trade deal.
  • Apple still pays tariffs on the Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, and iMac.

Three days before they were set to begin, Apple has narrowly avoided the second round of tariffs that were ready to hit their products. Reported by Bloomberg, the United States and China have reached a limited trade deal that has prevented the 15% tariff increase.

The new tariffs were set to begin on December 15 and would have impacted the iPhone, iPad, and Macbook. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, in a note to investors, projected that the increase would have translated into as much as a $150 price hike to the iPhone.

"Trump delivered an early Christmas present to Apple. If this tariff went through it would have been a major gut punch for semi players/Apple and could have thrown a major wrench into the supply chain and demand for the holiday season."

Ives went further to say that if Apple had taken the hit of the tariffs without raising the prices of their products, it could have eroded the company's earnings by as much as 4% in 2020.

Holding product prices steady while swallowing additional tariffs would have cut Apple earnings per share by about 4% next year. If the company reacted by raising iPhone prices, demand would shrink 6% to 8% in 2020, Ives estimated.

While the trade deal has saved the iPhone, iPad, and Macbook from tariffs, Apple is still paying duties on the Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, and iMac. These could see rollbacks according to those familiar with the matter.

Apple has been lobbying against the increase in tariffs against its product line for the entire year and Tim Cook has been at the front of the battle. Cook has met with President Trump on multiple occasions throughout the year to lobby for the company, most recently taking the President through Apple's Mac Pro production facility in Texas. Ives stressed the importance of Cook's involvement in his note to investors.

"Cook has become so crucial in these ongoing China negotiations...Apple, more than any company out there has the most to lose if this tariff war does not see a truce going forward."



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Pokémon Sword is the top game on Nintendo Switch for November 2019 NPD

One game keeps its place but several others close in.

What you need to know

  • The November 2019 NPD data has been released
  • For this month, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare took the top spot overall.
  • The Nintendo Switch was the bestselling console overall.
  • You can grab Pokémon Sword for Nintendo Switch for $57 on Amazon

Every month, the NPD Group releases information on the top-selling games across all video game platforms in the United States. While it doesn't account for worldwide sales, it does provide a good snapshot of one the largest video game markets. Mat Piscatella, an analyst for NPD, has shared the results for November 2019. For this month, data was tracked from November 3 through November 30, 2019.

For November, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare held on to the top spot of the charts, while Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order debuted at #2 and is instantly the ninth best-selling game of 2019. Pokémon took up three of the top five spots, while timed PlayStation 4 console exclusive Death Stranding debuted at #7 overall.

Here are the numbers for the November 2019 NPD results:

  • Total: $2.251 billion, down 19% year-over-year from $2.783 billion
  • Video games hardware: $891 million, down 26% year-over-year from $1.206 billion
  • PC and video games software: $926 million, down 17% year-over-year from $1.071 billion
  • Accessories and game cards: $403 million, down 14% year-over-year from $505 million

Here are the October 2019 game sales rankings (based on dollar sales, not units):

  1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019
  2. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order**
  3. Pokémon Sword*
  4. Pokémon Sword and Pokemon Shield Double Pack*
  5. Pokémon Shield*
  6. Madden NFL 20
  7. Death Stranding
  8. NBA 2K20
  9. Need for Speed: Heat
  10. Luigi's Mansion 3*
  11. FIFA 20
  12. Borderlands 3
  13. The Outer Worlds
  14. Just Dance 2020
  15. Mario Kart 8*
  16. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
  17. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
  18. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
  19. Grand Theft Auto V
  20. Mortal Kombat 11
  • *Does not include digital sales
  • **Does not include Steam sales
  • ***Minecraft digital sales include Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but not other digital sales.

Here are the best-selling games of November 2019 by platform:

Nintendo Switch

  1. Pokémon Sword*
  2. Pokémon Sword and Pokemon Shield Double Pack*
  3. Pokémon Shield*
  4. Luigi's Mansion 3*
  5. Mario Kart 8*
  6. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
  7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
  8. Just Dance 2020
  9. Ring Fit Adventure*
  10. Super Mario Odyssey*

PlayStation 4

  1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019
  2. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
  3. Death Stranding
  4. Madden NFL 20
  5. Need for Speed: Heat
  6. NBA 2K20
  7. FIFA 20
  8. The Outer Worlds
  9. Marvel's Spider-Man
  10. Borderlands 3

Xbox One

  1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019
  2. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
  3. Madden NFL 20
  4. NBA 2K20
  5. Need for Speed: Heat
  6. FIFA 20
  7. Borderlands 3
  8. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
  9. Red Dead Redemption II
  10. The Outer Worlds

Here are the best-selling games of 2019 year-to-date:

  1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019
  2. NBA 2K20
  3. Madden NFL 20
  4. Borderlands 3
  5. Mortal Kombat 11
  6. Kingdom Hearts III
  7. Tom Clancy's The Division 2
  8. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
  9. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order**
  10. Anthem

That's all for the breakdown of this month's numbers. For more information, you can consult Mat Piscatella's thread right here. If you'd like details on last month's NPD breakdown, you can find that right here.

Take up your Sword

Pokémon Sword

$60 at Amazon $60 at Walmart

Welcome to the Galar region

Pokémon Sword is the first half of the Pokémon games releasing this fall. With new Pokémon to tame and a legendary Pokémon exclusive to this version, there'll be plenty of Trainers to explore and do.

Or take up your Shield

Pokémon Shield

$60 at Amazon $60 at Walmart

Welcome to the Galar region

Pokémon Shield is the second half of the Pokémon games that will be releasing this fall. With new Pokémon to tame and a legendary Pokémon exclusive to this version, there'll be plenty of Trainers to explore and do.

Get More Switch

Nintendo Switch

$299 at Amazon



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Apple Pay is coming to the Washington D.C. Metro in 2020

Apple Pay and Express Transit continues to roll out across the country.

What you need to know

  • D.C. Metro is launching Apple Pay in 2020.
  • Customers will be able to use their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for their fare.
  • D.C. plans to roll out the feature to all of its subway stations and bus routes.

Apple Pay and Express Transit mode is coming to riders of the Washingston D.C. Metro in 2020. Reported by MacRumors, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced the coming feature on its Twitter account.

When the feature is implemented, riders of public transport in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area be able to use their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for rides on the D.C. Metrorail stations as well as D.C. Metrobus buses. Customers will simply add their SmarTrip fare card to the Wallet app on their iPhone to get started.

D.C. Metro will make things even easier for Apple Pay customers by enabling Express Transit Mode, which allows you to "tap-and-go" without the need to authenicate your device with Face ID, Touch ID, or with your passcode.

Today's announcement comes just after the New York City MTA launched its OMNY payment system to begin accepting Apple Pay and Express Transit at Penn Station. New York plans to roll out Apple Pay support across all of its 472 subway stations and bus routes by the end of 2020 as well.



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Rachel Noble to become director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate

Fills the gap left by Mike Burgess when the former Telstra CISO headed to ASIO as its director-general of Security in September.

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UFC 245: Usman vs. Covington: Start time, how to watch online and full fight card - CNET

There are three titles on the line on this incredibly stacked card.

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Jumanji: The Next Level sees Dwayne Johnson win the comedy game - CNET

Review: Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart are joined by Danny DeVito in this game-changingly entertaining romp.

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'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' is the best selling fighting game in US history


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Fortnite adds Rey and Finn skins in time for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Image: Epic Games

Fortnite has added perhaps its most high-profile crossover items today with new Rey and Finn skins to celebrate next week’s premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The skins are in the item shop now, alongside a crimson Sith Trooper skin, a First Order Tie Fighter glider, a Star Wars emote, and a giftable banner. The skins are 1,500 v-bucks (or roughly $15) each, while the glider is 1,200. Sadly, there is no lightsaber pickaxe.

This marks the second Star Wars cosmetic crossover Fortnite creator Epic Games has nabbed, following a Stormtrooper skin drop last month that was tied to the release of Electronic Arts’ Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Epic has a strong relationship with Disney and its myriad properties, and we’ve seen A...

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Jupiter has a new cyclone, NASA says - CNET

The cyclone joins six others at the planet's south pole.

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Reliance Industries acquires a majority stake in SaaS startup NowFloats for $20M

Reliance Industries, one of India’s largest industrial houses, has acquired a majority stake in NowFloats, an Indian startup that helps businesses and individuals build online presence without any web developing skills.

In a regulatory filing on Thursday, Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited said (PDF) it has acquired an 85% stake in NowFloats for 1.4 billion Indian rupees ($20 million).

Seven-and-a-half-year old, Hyderabad-headquartered NowFloats operates an eponymous platform that allows individuals and businesses to easily build an online presence. Using NowFloats’ services, a mom and pop store, for instance, can build a website, publish their catalog, as well as engage with their customers on WhatsApp.

The startup, which has raised about 12 million in equity financing prior to today’s announcement, claims to have helped over 300,000 participating retail partners. NowFloats counts Blume Ventures, Omidyar Network, Iron Pillar, IIFL Wealth Management, and Hyderabad Angels among its investors.

Last year, NowFloats acquired LookUp, an India-based chat service that connects consumers to local business — and is backed by Vinod Khosla’s personal fund Khosla Impact, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Narayana Murthy’s Catamaran Ventures and Global Founders Capital.

Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, said that it would invest up to 750 million Indian rupees ($10.6 million) of additional capital into the startup, and raise its stake to about 89.66%, if NowFloats achieves certain unspecified goals by the end of next year.

In a statement, Reliance Industries said the investment will “further enable the group’s digital and new commerce initiatives.” NowFloats is the latest acquisition Reliance has made in the country this year. In August, the conglomerate said it was buying a majority stake in Google-backed Fynd for $42.3 million. In April, it bought a majority stake in Haptik in a deal worth $100 million.

There are about 60 million small and medium-sized businesses in India. Like hundreds of millions of Indians, many in small towns and cities, who have come online in recent years thanks to world’s cheapest mobile data plans and inexpensive Android smartphones, businesses are increasingly building online presence as well.

But vast majority of them are still offline, a fact that has created immense opportunities for startups — and VCs looking into this space — and major technology giants. New Delhi-based BharatPe, which helps merchants accept online payments and provides them with working capital, raised $50 million in August. Khatabook and OkCredit, two digital bookkeeping apps for merchants, have also raised significant amount of money this year.

In recent years, Google has also looked into the space. It has launched tools — and offered guidance — to help neighborhood stores establish some presence on the web. In September, the company announced that its Google Pay service, which is used by more than 67 million users in India, will now enable businesses to accept digital payments and reach their customers online.



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Trouble for Chinese AI Unicorns, Physics of a Kung Fu Master's Jump, and More News.

Catch up on the most important news from today in two minutes or less.

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Apple averts $150 bump in iPhone prices following Trump trade deal with China

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

President Donald Trump’s tentative trade deal with China, announced earlier today, has saved Apple from raising the prices, or eating those price hikes itself, of some of its most popular products, including the iPhone.

According to Bloomberg, which cites Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, Apple’s top iPhone models could have been hit with a 15 percent tariff, which equates to a bump in price of around $150 for the base model iPhone 11 Pro, if the trade deal had not been reached. The tariffs were set to go into effect on December 15th and would have impacted the iPhone, the iPad, and the MacBook line, among other products.

“Trump delivered an early Christmas present to Apple,” Ives said in a note to investors obtained by Bloomberg....

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Apple’s latest startup purchase hints at the next big leap in iPhone photography

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Apple has acquired Spectral Edge, a UK-based startup whose technology could be used to improve photos taken on iPhones, according to filings made public on Thursday and reported by Bloomberg.

Spectral Edge was spun out from research done the University of East Anglia, and it has developed computational photography tech that could blend data from a standard lens and an infrared lens to enhance photo quality.

You can see the tech at work below — here’s what looks to be a photo taken with a standard camera compared to one improved by Spectral Edge’s technology (from this 2016 TechCrunch article). You can see that the colors are much richer in the second photo:

Image: Spectral Edge

With the continued mobile phone arms...

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