The funniest questions to ask Siri

Besides calculating math and finding you the nearest bar, channel Siri's comedic side with these questions.

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Best Stardew Valley mods

Several of these make small tweaks to the game, while others offer players a completely new world to explore.

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Zuckerberg defends Facebook’s misinformation and hate policies in earnings call

The CEO said Facebook does not "profit from misinformation or hate"

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Get the most out of your Xbox One with these tips

Here are a few tips and tricks to help navigate the basic procedures for Microsoft's Xbox One gaming console.

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Xilinx FYQ1 in-line, shares sag; CEO Peng trumpets recovery in multiple markets

Shares of programmable chip maker Xilinx fell in late trading Tuesday despite in-line quarterly revenue. CEO Peng urged investors to look past “puts and takes.”

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Microsoft’s Edge browser is crashing if you have Google set as default search

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Microsoft’s new Edge browser is randomly crashing when users type into the address bar tonight. The issues appear to be affecting Edge users who have selected Google as the default search engine. Microsoft says it’s aware of the problems and the company’s Edge team is investigating.

Microsoft recommends turning off Search Suggestions in edge://settings/search. The Verge has tested this workaround and it solves the problem if you have Google set as your default search engine.

Are you seeing Edge crash when trying to type into the address bar? The team is looking into it! In the meantime, as a workaround, please turn off Search Suggestions here: edge://settings/search. We'll follow up once we have more!

— Microsoft Edge Dev (@MSEdgeDev) J...

Continue reading…

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The Economy Is in Record Decline, but Not for the Tech Giants

Even though the tech industry’s four biggest companies were stung by a slowdown in spending, they reported a combined $28 billion in profits on Thursday.

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Beyoncé visual album Black Is King could be the Disney exclusive to rival Hamilton - CNET

Like all of the star's projects, this one, landing July 31, promises to have a major impact and spark discussion far and wide.

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2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid police truck will report for duty - Roadshow

The "Special Service Vehicle" will be a fleet-only option and cost just $50.

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Netflix's answer to X-Men just became really, really good - CNET

Review: The Umbrella Academy hits its stride in its second season, finding the right balance between fun escapism and emotional punch.

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Coronavirus rent relief: What to know about eviction moratoriums and your Aug. 1 due date - CNET

Congress's latest stimulus package doesn't address the US's looming eviction "tsunami." Will protections be extended before it's too late?

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Trump on Twitter suggests delaying November election, despite no power to change it - CNET

Changing the date of the election would require an act of Congress.

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How China used nationalism to hide coronavirus truth - CNET

Thousands of Chinese nationalists sent death threats to an author for writing a diary documenting the world's first coronavirus lockdown. Why?

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Best single-player PC games

Competitive gaming is incredibly popular, but that doesn't mean single-player titles have been forgotten.

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Apex Legends relives past glory during the coronavirus pandemic

Season 5 has proven to be extremely popular

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John Wick screenwriter to pen new Splinter Cell anime for Netflix

Netflix reportedly bought 16 episodes of the series

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What’s new on Amazon Prime Video in August 2020

Amazon Prime Video adds new titles every month. Here is all of the content arriving in July and August 2020.

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The best Alexa-enabled devices for 2020

Here's a breakdown of some of our favorite Alexa-enabled devices, from refrigerators to security cameras.

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Level Lock Review: A stealthy, costly smart lock

It looks like an ordinary lock, as it tucks crucial components (even the battery) in your door.

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Arlo Pro 3 review: A smart security choice

Enhanced video quality, color night vision, and smart A.I. features make the weatherproof and wireless Arlo Pro 3 a top pick for smart home surveillance.

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The Google Pixel 4a will finally be revealed on August 3

The phone will likely offer an edge-to-edge display with a hole-punch cutout

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Shark IQ Robot R101AE Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum review

I reviewed the IQ robot, and here's my take on the device. With minimal interaction required on your part, it'll keep you focused on other, more pressing matters.

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Apple says losing money to donate to causes ‘the right thing to do’

Apple is still committed to doing the right thing over profit.

What you need to know

• Apple announced that its employee donation matching program hurt its financial performance in Q1 and Q2.
• Apple's CFO says the program is "absolutely the right thing to do."
• Tim Cook has also pushed back against ROI-focused investors in the past.

Apple's commitment to doing the right thing has long been something that the company pushes to do despite the financial impact.

During Apple's Q3 2020 earnings call, it appears that its commitment to those ideals remain. Ben Bollen from Cleveland Research asked Luca Maestri, Apple's Chief Financial Officer, asked how COVID-19 has impacted the company's operating expenditures.

"OK. And then, Luca, I'm interested, any color you could share about the impact COVID had on OpEx in the quarter for, you know, work from home stipends, less travel, other employee support costs, and also how the company is thinking about the longer-term opportunity of employees working remotely, maybe more permanently, and any considerations on how that could influence future OpEx. Thanks."

Maestri responded by noting the company's program to match employee donations. According to the CFO, the program had a negative financial impact to the company in for the last six months. Despite the cost, Maestri says "we think it's absolutely the right thing to do."

"On the OpEx front, there are being obviously certain things that have been affected in terms of cost reductions, obviously, travel. It is a perfect example, you know, the number of meetings that we had internally, some of those costs are been reduced. We've also invested heavily in initiatives. For example, you know, we really trying to help during very difficult circumstances. We have a program, for example, where we match our employee donations. We made donations directly as a company around the world to many institutions and governments. On a net basis, I would say probably the cost outweighed the savings both during the March and the June quarter. But we think it's absolutely the right thing to do."

This isn't the first time that Apple has drawn a line in the sand over things like this. Tim Cook, on an investor call back in 2014, famously told investors who were only interested in profit to not invest with the company.

"If you want me to do things only for ROI reasons, you should get out of this stock."

The comment came after the company was pressured about its investment in renewable energy. That investment has obviously paid off, as the company now plans to become completely carbon neutral by 2030.

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Your first look at Donald Trump, as played by Brendan Gleeson in The Comey Rule - CNET

It looks like he's nailed it.

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The best Wi-Fi routers in 2020 - CNET

Your router is the unsung hero holding your smart home together. From gaming to mesh to Wi-Fi 6, here are the best we've tested, for every budget.

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NASA to launch its next-gen Mars rover on Thursday: How to watch live - CNET

The epic journey to the red planet begins with a launch of the Perseverance rover from Florida on July 30. And weather's looking good.

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Samsung profit rises on strong chip sales amid coronavirus - CNET

The electronics giant benefited from a one-time gain and from demand for its processors.

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See Apple CEO Tim Cook's best moments before Congress video - CNET

Cook testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee and got questions about the company's App store and whether it's using its market dominance to stifle competition. Here are the best moments from the hearing.

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Prime Day iPad Price Predictions 2020: iPad 10.2 and iPad Pro

These predictions are not based on insider pricing knowledge, nor are they set in stone

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Leading Democrat says Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon have ‘monopoly power’

'This must end'

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Bezos had few answers for Congress — and it won’t matter

Wednesday's unfocused hearing gave the billionaire the perfect opportunity to skate by — and he took it

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Republican Congressman to Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook: So, what do you think of cancel culture?

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Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg: Who talked the most during the antitrust hearing?

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Zuckerberg ludicrously claimed he didn't remember paying teens to spy on them

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Irregularities in COVID Reporting Contract Award Process Raises New Questions

The administration awarded a contract for a COVID-19 database to TeleTracking Technologies using a process reserved for innovative research. Its CEO had links to the New York real estate world.

(Image credit: smartboy10/Digital Vision Vectors/Getty Images)

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Nab a bargain with these off-lease used car deals - Roadshow

Lots of sedans, a crossover and the funky Kia Soul make the list.

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Scientists pinpoint the best place on Earth to see the cosmos at night - CNET

If you want to see the wonders of the universe, the best place on the planet is also one of the most remote -- and one of the coldest.

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Astronomers find a dying remnant from star cluster that 'shouldn't have existed' - CNET

The Phoenix stellar stream appears to have originated from a globular cluster unlike any we've seen in the Milky Way.

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Bezos questioned on stolen goods sold on Amazon video - CNET

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos gets grilled by Rep. Lucy Kay McBath about the company's practice of identifying stolen goods.

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Lawmakers accuse tech giants of using privacy as a weapon to hurt competition - CNET

Apple and Google have used online privacy and security measures to gain a competitive advantage, Congress members said.

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Facebook ad boycott: Why big brands 'hit pause on hate' - CNET

The Stop Hate for Profit campaign is gaining steam in a way that Facebook can't exactly ignore.

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Congressman to Big Tech: Is China stealing US technology? video - CNET

During a House subcommittee hearing, Rep. Greg Stuebe of Florida asks the heads of Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple whether they believe the Chinese government is stealing from American tech companies.

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The best Wi-Fi routers in 2020 - CNET

Your router is the unsung hero holding your smart home together. From gaming to mesh to Wi-Fi 6, here are the best we've tested, for every budget.

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Best smartphone deals for August 2020: iPhone, Samsung, and Google Pixel

It's never a bad time to score a new smartphone, and here are some great deals that can save you hundreds.

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Zuckerberg slammed over coronavirus hoaxes: ‘You can’t contain deadly content’

Zuckerberg said Facebook has a responsibility to limit misinformation

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Arizona is leading an investigation into iPhone performance throttling

The investigation follows another being led by the Texas attorney general

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Best coolers of 2020: Cabela, Igloo, Yeti, Coleman and more - CNET

Nothing beats a frosty beverage on a hot summer day, but you'll need a dependable cooler to hold the cold. Here are the winners out of the 18 we've tested.

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How to pre-order the PS5

As excitement for the PS5 grows, consumers are eagerly awaiting the ability to pre-order. Here's what we know.

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How to set up your Google Home, Home Mini, or Nest Hub

Google Home units can do a whole lot, but first you need to properly set up your device: Here's exactly how.

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The best washer dryer combo machines for 2020

Live in a small space? Tired of going to the laundromat? A washer dryer combo may just be a good solution.

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Animal Crossing update brings cloud saves, fireworks, and dreams

The new content also bring the ability to dream and fireworks to the island

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YouTube is trying to crack down on QAnon videos. It’s not working

A Digital Trends investigation found the content is still being recommended

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Zuckerberg to tell Congress that Instagram, WhatsApp needed Facebook to succeed

“Instagram and WhatsApp have been able to grow and operate their services using Facebook’s bespoke, lower-cost infrastructure"

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CES goes virtual, Trump Jr.’s Twitter timeout, and more | Digital Trends Live

On this Digital Trends Live, we dig into the top trending tech stories, including CES going virtual, and more.

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The best Mac apps for 2020

Your Mac may already have a lot of great apps, but these ones are must-haves for the full experience.

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How to install a Ring Video Doorbell

Want to install your Ring Doorbell yourself? Don't worry, you can do it. We'll show you exactly how it's done.

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Hevo draws in $8 million Series A for its no-code data pipeline service

Hevo founders Manish Jethani and Sourabh Agarwal

According to data pipeline startup Hevo, many small- to medium-sized companies juggle more than 40 different applications to manage sales, marketing, finance, customer support and other operations. All of these applications are important sources of data that can be analyzed to improve a company’s performance. That data often remains separate, however, making it difficult for different teams to collaborate.

Hevo enables its clients’ employees to integrate data from more than 150 different sources, including enterprise software from Salesforce and Oracle, even if they don’t have any technical experience. The company announced today that it has raised an $8 million Series A round led by Singapore-based venture capital firm Qualgro and Lachy Groom, a former executive at payments company Stripe.

The round, which brings Hevo’s total raised so far to $12 million, also included participation from returning investors Chiratae Ventures and Sequoia Capital India’s early-stage startup program Surge. The company was first covered by TechCrunch when it raised seed funding in 2017.

Hevo’s Series A will be used to increase the number of integrations available on its platform, and hire sales and marketing teams in more countries, including the United States and Singapore. The company currently has clients in 16 markets, including the U.S., India, France, Australia and Hong Kong, and counts payments company Marqeta among its customers.

In a statement, Puneet Bysani, tech lead manager at Marqeta, said, “Hevo saved us many engineering hours, and our data teams could focus on creating meaningful KPIs that add value to Marqeta’s business. With Hevo’s pre-built connectors, we were able to get data from many sources into Redshift and Snowflake very quickly.”

Based in Bangalore and San Francisco, Hevo was founded in 2017 by chief executive officer Manish Jethani and chief technology officer Sourabh Agarwal. The two previously launched SpoonJoy, a food delivery startup that was acquired by Grofers, one of India’s largest online grocery delivery services, in 2015. Jethani and Agarwal spent a year working at Grofers before leaving to start Hevo.

Hevo originated in the challenges Jethani and Agarwal faced while developing tech for SpoonJoy’s order and delivery system.

“All of our team members would come to us and say, ‘hey, we want to look at these metrics,’ or we would ask our teams questions if something wasn’t working. Oftentimes, they would not have the data available to answer those questions,” Jethani told TechCrunch.

Then at Grofers, Jethani and Agarwal realized that even large companies face the same challenges. They decided to work on a solution to allow companies to quickly integrate data sources.

For example, a marketing team at a e-commerce company might have data about its advertising on social media platforms, and how much traffic campaigns bring to their website or app. But they might not have access to data about how many of those visitors actually make purchases, or if they become repeat customers. By building a data pipeline with Hevo, they can bring all that information together.

Hevo is designed to serve all sectors, including e-commerce, healthcare and finance. In order to use it, companies sign up for Hevo’s services on its website and employees enter their credentials for software supported by the platform. Then Hevo automatically extracts and organizes the data from those sources and prepares it for cloud-based data warehouses, such as Amazon Redshift and Snowflake. A user dashboard allows companies to customize integrations or hide sensitive data.

Hevo is among a roster of “no code, low code” startups that have recently raised venture capital funding for building tools that enable non-developers to add features to their existing software. The founders say its most direct competitor is Fivetran, an Oakland, California-based company that also builds pipelines to move data to warehouses and prepare it for analysis.

Jethani said Hevo differentiates by “optimizing our product for non-technical users.”

“The number of companies who need to use data is very high and there is not enough talent available in the market. Even if it is available, it is very competitive and expensive to hire that engineering talent because big companies like Google and Amazon are also competing for the same talent,” he added. “So we felt that there has to be some democratization of who can use this technology.”

Hevo also focuses on integrating data in real-time, which is especially important for companies that provide on-demand deliveries or services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jethani says e-commerce clients have used Hevo to manage an influx in orders as people under stay-at-home orders purchase more items online. Companies are also relying on Hevo to help organize and manage data as their employees continue to work remotely.

In a statement about the funding, Qualgro managing partner Heang Chhor said, “Hevo provides a truly innovative solution for extracting and transforming data across multiple data sources–in real time with full automation. This helps enterprises to fully capture the benefit of data flowing though the many databases and software they currently use. Hevo’s founders are the type of globally-minded entrepreneurs that we like to support.”

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Best digital experience in Australia, bar none: Commonwealth Bank CEO's promise

Matt Comyn said his bank is planning to send almost all of its applications to an 'integrated cloud installation'.

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Amazon Fraud Detector now generally available

Using machine learning, users can identify potentially fraudulent online activities, such as online payment and identity fraud, the creation of fake accounts, and loyalty account and promotion code abuse.

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Jeff Bezos To Washington: 'My Dad's Name Is Miguel. He Adopted Me When I Was 4'

The CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google are set to testify about whether their companies have too much power. Jeff Bezos begins his prepared remarks with a personal story.

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

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2020 Emmy Awards: Start time, how to watch or stream online - CNET

Emmy nominations have dropped, so it's a good time to get prepped for the main event.

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The best VPN service for 2020 - CNET

A virtual private network lets you send and receive data while remaining anonymous and secure online.

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Best deals for off-lease used cars under $15,000 - Roadshow

These cars are only three years old, but only one is a crossover.

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Time to report now? Follow these steps to tell the IRS your stimulus payment never arrived - CNET

The second stimulus check is now under debate in Washington. But if you're still waiting for your first check, here's how to let the federal agency know about your absent money.

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Best face masks for exercising for 2020 - CNET

And what to look for when you shop for a performance face mask.

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It's back! Nearly impossible-to-find Nintendo Switch Lite is at Best Buy right now - CNET

Just updated: Here's the retail status of the $200 portable version of Nintendo's hot gaming console.

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Kodak gets $765M loan from US government to produce medicines, reportedly including hydroxychloroquine - CNET

Kodak Pharmaceuticals will produce key components for drugs.

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Apple Store Field Trips retired, new education events coming soon

Apple says a new educational experience is on the way.

What you need to know

• Apple has officially retired Apple Field Trips at the Apple Store.
• The program was popular for educators and students.
• New educational experiences will take its place, but they have not been announced yet.

When the pandemic caused Apple to close its retail stores across the world, two of its popular in-store programs were also affected.

While Today at Apple went virtual and will be returning to stores in due time, Apple's popular Field Trips program has gone another way. Reported by 9to5Mac, the program has been officially discontinued the program.

Both Today at Apple and the Apple Field Trip program were disrupted when nearly every Apple Store closed this spring due to the pandemic. While Today at Apple has returned online with virtual sessions and will someday return to physical Apple Stores, the Apple Field Trip program will not. Apple today removed its Field Trip registration system and noted that customers can no longer book sessions. "Stay tuned," Apple says, for "a new educational experience."

Apple has not said exactly what the "new educational experience" will be, but it will most likely resemble something similar to benefits that the Field Trips program brought to students and educators. The Field Trips program brought together teachers and students with Apple's Creative Pros to learn how to use Apple's technology to take their learning even further.

Prior to the onset of COVID-19, K-12 students, youth groups, and teachers could schedule hands-on group sessions at their local Apple Stores through the Apple Field Trip program. Students worked together with Apple Creative Pros to find their creative passions, and educators explored how to take their classrooms further by making the most of Apple tools and resources.

It is currently unclear when Apple will roll out a new program to replace Field Trips. If digital, it could launch at any point, but if held in stores we could be in for a wait depending on region.

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New Universal movies to hit iTunes just 17 days after theatrical release

You can watch a new movie on iTunes in less than 3 weeks after release.

What you need to know

• Universal films will release on iTunes just 17 days after theatrical release.
• AMC Theaters and Universal Pictures have reached a deal on the schedule.
• This has moved the theatrical release window down from 75 days.

Your most anticipated movies may start to come to iTunes a lot faster.

Reported by The Wall Street Journal (via MacRumors), AMC Theaters and Universal Pictures have reached a deal that will allow films released in theaters to come to digital services like iTunes just 17 days after release. Previously, films had to stay in theaters for at least 75 days before becoming available on streaming services.

After Universal Pictures saw a major success with the digital-only release of "Trolls World Tour", AMC Theaters threatened to never show Universal films in its locations if the company continued to release films that way. This led to discussions which resulted in an agreement to shorten the theatrical release window.

During the pandemic, Universal had been experimenting with offering movies online while they're still in theaters, which AMC was not happy with. Universal's digital release of "Trolls World Tour" in the early months of the coronavirus was a success, earning more than $100 million in three weeks, and spurring the company to further experiment with digital releases ... Movie theaters have been closed, but AMC said that if Universal released new movies direct to digital platforms, it would not show new Universal releases. With the new 17-day theatrical release window, however, the dispute between the two companies has been settled.

The deal between the two companies, according to The Wall Street Journal, could result in similar deals between other companies to bring titles to digital release earlier.

According to The Wall Street Journal, this deal for shorter theatrical releases between AMC and Universal Pictures could put pressure on rivals of both companies to establish similar online release timelines. AMC Chief Executive Adam Aron said that AMC will have an opportunity to generate additional revenue by offering new Universal films on its AMC Theaters on Demand platform. New Universal titles will also be released on digital platforms like Apple TV and Amazon.

Currently, most films are seeing delays due to the pandemic. If more deals like the one between Universal and AMC happen, we could hopefully see some of these new movies hit the small screen sooner than later.

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Changing how consumers experience products, brands

In this followup piece from a two-part feature, we explore how the global pandemic has impacted the way products are showcased and brands engage consumers as well as opened up new doors for some online players.

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Traditional businesses finally embrace digital, but still face limits

In this first piece from a two-part feature, we look at how businesses once resistance to digital are finally turning to such tools to address challenges brought about by the global pandemic, but the devil's in the application and there are limits to how much they can gain from going online.

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AWS and NZ's Vector launch IoT-connected energy platform

The New Energy Platform aims to change how energy is managed, delivered, and consumed across Australia and New Zealand.

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When will the IRS send new stimulus checks? The dates the second payment could come - CNET

The Senate's HEALS Act proposal would expand who is eligible for stimulus money. Here's why you won't get it right away.

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These are the best cheap Alienware deals for August 2020

Here's a handful of the best Alienware deals on laptops, desktops, and accessories for your battle station.

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The best iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) cases

The iPad Pro 12.9 is powerful, but it's not invincible. Protect it with one of the best iPad Pro 12.9 cases.

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These are the best cheap Dell XPS deals for August 2020

If you want the best ultrabook on the market, these are the best Dell XPS 13 and XPS 15 deals available now.

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How to watch NASA launch its new Perseverance rover to Mars live online

It will search for evidence of ancient life on the planet

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Pokémon Go Fest 2020 actually worked as a virtual event!

Pokémon Go Fest 2020 has wrapped up. Although this was the fourth year for the event, Pokémon Go Fest 2020 was the first of its kind due to the pandemic and featured a completely virtual, global experience. Niantic sought to make this event accessible for every player, including the many of us who are still unable to leave our homes for anything other than the essentials.

Although there were a few technical hiccups, overall the event seems to have been a huge success. While Niantic has made clear that it plasn to eventually get back to live events, there is a lot the company could implement in the future to make this game more accessible.

Pokémon Go Fest 2020

By and large, Pokémon Go Fest 2020 was a huge success. Although I spent a fair bit of the weekend in my roommate's car, the time spent playing at home still felt engaging and enjoyable. For a game built around the idea of getting out and exploring the world around you, Niantic has had to reimagine gameplay and events over the past several months. This started with minor adjustments to gameplay, but has extended to new features, like Remote Raid Passes and events like Community Day: Play at Home. All of that work clearly paid off with the implementation of Pokémon Go Fest 2020.

Global Challenges

Probably the biggest success of the whole event, the Global Challenges, were spot on. Even though many players bought tickets well in advance, it has to be difficult to gauge what participation will look like for an event of this scale and how best to implement them.

Niantic was able to set realisitic challenges that weren't too difficult for the global community to meet, but also weren't so easy that players were left feeling like they didn't contribute. Completing the hourly challenges not only unlocked a bonus for the remainder of the hour, but also contributed to upcoming Ultra Unlock bonus events, which provided a rewarding experience for players.

Although a handful of the challenges were completed in less than 10 minutes, the challenges took an average of about 20 minutes to complete, leaving players with the remaining time in each hour to enjoy whatever bonus was unlocked. While Niantic included progress by team in both the Team Lounges and on the app, it was measured in average per player contributions, something this Instinct player really appreciates! In case you're curious, here's the breakdown for each challenge by team:

Habitat	Challenge	Completion	Instinct	Mystic	Valor
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	2 minutes	39.0	37.8	40.0
Water	Great Throws made	16 minutes	26.9	28.4	32.8
Grass	Berries used	7 minutes	17.5	17.7	17.8
Battle	Raids battled	13 minutes	2.1	2.1	2.2
Friendship	Gifts sent	10 minutes	9.1	9.1	9.2
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	6 minutes	37.2	37.1	37.3
Water	Great Throws made	18 minutes	22.1	22.2	22.1
Grass	Berries used	29 minutes	16.5	16.8	16.8
Battle	Raids battled	43 minutes	1.9	1.9	1.9
Friendship	Gifts sent	12 minutes	9.6	9.4	9.4
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	15 minutes	31.7	31.6	31.5
Water	Great Throws made	28 minutes	16.4	16.4	16.2
Grass	Berries used	27 minutes	15.2	15.4	15.2
Battle	Raids battled	39 minutes	1.8	1.8	1.8
Friendship	Gifts sent	29 minutes	8.7	8.6	8.6
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	12 minutes	39.9	39.9	40.4
Water	Great Throws made	17 minutes	20.3	20.3	20.3
Grass	Berries used	30 minutes	15.1	15.6	15.3
Battle	Raids battled	38 minutes	1.8	1.8	1.8
Friendship	Gifts sent	56 minutes*	5.5	5.7	5.6
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	17 minutes	30.8	31.2	31.3
Water	Great Throws made	12 minutes	18.2	18.4	18.3
Grass	Berries used	14 minutes	15.5	15.9	15.9
Battle	Raids battled	23 minutes	1.9	1.9	1.9
Friendship	Gifts sent	7 minutes	9.5	9.6	9.5
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	11 minutes	27.1	27.3	27.3
Water	Great Throws made	15 minutes	14.7	14.9	14.8
Grass	Berries used	17 minutes	10.9	11.1	11.1
Battle	Raids battled	23 minutes	1.8	1.8	1.8
Friendship	Gifts sent	6 minutes	7.1	7.2	7.2
Fire	Fire type Pokémon caught	11 minutes	23.2	23.2	23.1
Water	Great Throws made	37 minutes	16.4	15.7	16.0
Grass	Berries used	32 minutes	11.6	11.5	11.6
Battle	Raids battled	17 minutes	2.0	1.9	1.9

It should be noted that the only challenge that came close to the wire for completion was the fourth Friendship challenge, during which Niantic had to disable social interactions temporarily. Even with that pertitent technical issue, players were still able to complete the challenge before the hour was up.

Keeping busy

In addition to the Global Challenges, the Special Research lines Go Fest Welcome and Rocket Straight to Victory took a good amount of time, but were also achievable. Incense worked incredibly well at keeping a steady stream of Pokémon appearing. Raids were happening almost constantly, so even if there were only a couple Gyms on the map, there was almost always a Raid to participate in.

Raid Invitations had a few technical hiccups during the event, but when they worked, it felt just like Community Day and Raid events before the pandemic. During Day Two, there was never a time where I found myself waiting for Team GO Rocket to show up. Plain and simple, this event had enough to keep players busy both days for the entirety of the event.

Social media engagement

Before Pokémon Go Fest even kicked off, Niantic set up Virtual Team Lounges to engage with the community. On this website, players could watch a keynote from CEO John Hanke, behind the scenes and making-of videos, engage with tutorials, and other fun for the community.

The page also had a live feed to Pokémon Go's Twitter and a selection of Pokémon Go Trainer's snapshots. All weekend long, Niantic's social media team did a fantastic job interacting with the community, sharing snapshots, and really making it feel like we were all working together — even for those of us doing this event from home or solo.

This is something Niantic has had a bit of practice with since the first Community Day: Play at Home back in April, but even after having been so impressed with the company's efforts for Community Day, I was amazed at how this event managed to bring the global community together. Because of where I live, I've spent the vast majority of the last six months at home. Even during this weekend, I didn't get out of the car. However, I felt the community togetherness anyway.

The storyline

Between the pair of Special Research lines, the "vandalism" of the Team Lounges, the social media posts, and the updated dialogue for Team GO Rocket, the storyline for this years Pokémon Go Fest was engaging and fun. While part of that was in the weeks building up to Go Fest, with the Anniversary Challenge Event, it definitely felt more engaging than previous virtual only events. Over the weeks leading up to the event, Team GO Rocket's plans became clearer and clearer. Alhough many weren't shocked when the villains took over for Day Two, it was still a fun surprise, and the balance between gameplay and story was spot on.

Technical difficulties

As huge of a success as this event was, there were obvious technical issues. For one, there were issues with Remote Raid invitations. I ended up losing a Remote Raid Pass from one such hiccup. While I didn't expect to hear back quickly, I put in a support request and within just a few hours, I had a new Remote Raid Pass in my inventory. You can't ask for a better response time during a massive, global event like this.

The issues were also resolved very quickly. When players were unable to send out gifts — something necessary for the hourly challenge — Niantic managed to get the issue fixed with enough time that players still met the goal. While timing out in Raids was a real issue, the Raids kept showing up at practically every gym through the end of the event.

You cannot expect an event like this not to have technical issues, but how a company handles those issues speaks volumes. The message sent this weekend was that Niantic puts the community first. Plus, Niantic promised to hold make-up events for players who were affected by some of these issues.

Value

Another thing that made this event so successful was the value for your money. Even before tickets went on sale, Niantic announced that all proceeds from Go Fest would be donated at a minimum of $5 million, split between Black gaming and AR creators, and U.S.-based nonprofits working to rebuild communities in the wake of the pandemic. Tickets weren't overly expensive either at only $15 USD or the local equivalent. However, even for players who didn't buy tickets, there was still a lot of fun to do this weekend.

For those who wanted to spend a little more (or happened to have a few extra PokéCoins saved up), there were valuable boxes in the PokéShop that really helped. My personal favorite was the GO Rocket Box, which had four Rocket Radars (normally 200 PokéCoins a piece), 20 Max Potions, 20 Max Revives, and two Star Pieces all for 480 PokéCoins. I ended up buying an extra box just before the event ended so I'd have the extra Rocket Radars next month.

I've spoken with numerous Trainers, some who spent a fair bit and others who spent nothing at all, and everyone I spoke to had a great time. I even spoke with a few players who hadn't played in months, and they still found themselves enjoying this event.

The future of Pokémon Go Events

I was a longtime Ingress player before Pokémon Go was even announced and I was always worried that the way Niantic hosted its live events would be prohibitive for most players. Between tickets selling out and the cost of travel to get to one of the few cities around the world lucky enough to host a live event, I've never been able to make it to a Pokémon Go event and was only able to attend a handful of live Ingress events. There are also many more who struggle with these games because of a physical disability or having an atypical work schedule.

While Hanke has spoken at length about the future of live events for Pokémon Go and other Niantic games, I hope that everyone at Niantic looks to the success of Pokémon Go Fest 2020, as well as the Play at Home Community Days, and considers incorporating the accessibility of virtual events into future live events. The pandemic has forced Niantic to evolve Pokémon Go and its other games, but I hope that the creators can see the massive benefits this sort of accessibility brings to everyone playing even after the pandemic has passed.

I still hope to be able to attend a live event for Pokémon Go eventually, but if Niantic can balance its live events with virtual events like Pokémon Go Fest 2020, I won't feel as though I've completely missed out on an important aspect of the game.

Pokemon Go

• Pokémon Pokédex
• Pokémon Go Events
• Pokémon Go Alolan Forms
• Pokémon Go Shiny Forms
• Pokémon Go Legendaries
• Pokémon Go Best Cheats
• Pokémon Go Tips and Tricks
• Pokémon Go Best Movesets
• How to find and catch Ditto
• How to find and catch Unown

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