Epic to host a #FreeFortnite tournament with anti-Apple prizes

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Fortnite-maker Epic Games and Apple are currently embroiled in a public battle over Apple’s App Store policies, and in the latest move in the dispute, Epic has announced a Fortnite tournament taking place August 23rd where players can compete to win anti-Apple prizes.

Last week, Epic added a new direct payment system to Fortnite in violation of Apple’s policies. Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store the same day, and shortly after, Epic launched a campaign against Apple by suing the company, releasing a “Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite” video mocking Apple’s famous “1984” ad, and promoting the hashtag #FreeFortnite.

All of your friends. Fabulous prizes. And one bad apple. We’re droppin the #FreeFortnite Cup on August 23.

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The best water filter pitcher to buy in 2020 - CNET

Spoiler: It isn't Brita.

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Lego Nintendo unboxing and speed build - CNET

We put the Lego NES up against the old-school Super Mario Bros. game to see how they compare in terms of fun factor and finish time. Yes, it's a race.

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The best water filter pitcher to buy in 2020 - CNET

Spoiler: It isn't Brita.

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Lightroom update for iPhone and iPad deleted photos and presets

Adobe has apologized for a bug in an iOS Lightroom update that deleted photos

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The best cheap gaming laptop deals for August 2020

These are the best cheap gaming laptop deals you can score, including picks that ring in at less than $500.

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Best Prime Day Nintendo Switch Deals 2020: What to expect

We’ve got all the Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals right here, along with some of our predictions for the sale.

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What is QAnon and where did it come from?

Thanks to social media, the far-right conspiracies are mainstream

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The Apple Watch has dominated the global smartwatch market in 2020

Everyone keeps trying to get second place.

What you need to know

• Apple has captured over half of the global smartwatch market in H1 2020.
• WearOS still only holds 10% of the market.
• 42 million smartwatches were sold in the first half of the year.

The Apple Watch is still the smartwatch to beat by a mile in 2020.

Reported by analytics firm Counterpoint, Apple captured half of the global smartwatch market in the first half of 2020. Senior Analyst Sujeong Lim remarked that strong demand for the new Apple Watch Series 5 grew Apple's overall shipments by twenty-two percent.

"Apple continued to dominate the smartwatch market both in volume and value. Apple captured a record half of the market in terms of revenue due to strong demand for the Apple Watch S5 models. In terms of shipment volumes, Apple Watch grew 22% globally with Europe and North America being the fastest growing markets in the first half of 2020."

Lim went on to say that Apple wasn't the only growth that the market experienced in the first half of 2020, however. The market as a whole has seen major growth across India, Europe, and the United States.

"The smartwatch space remains a popular consumer device segment, compared to the downturn seen in smartphone demand and many other segments in the first six months of 2020 due to the devastation caused by COVID-19. Close to 42 million smartwatches were shipped in the first half of 2020 as wearables continue to see greater demand with consumers becoming more health conscious. India (+57% YoY), Europe (+9% YoY) and the US (+5% YoY), the most affected regions of COVID-19, saw a healthy growth in smartwatch shipments which offset the decline in other markets."

Research Director Jeff Fieldhack says that the market should expect to continue to see growth as heart rate monitoring, fall detection, and blood oxygen monitoring continue to be adopted into future smartwatches. That, paired with a more health-conscious population, should continue to propel the market forward.

"Google WearOS continues to account for 10% of the total smartwatch market, behind Apple WatchOS. Huawei's Lite OS and Amazfit's Amazfit OS are growing fast. Further, the cellular-capable smartwatch is becoming more popular and accounts for more than one in four smartwatches shipped, benefitting the likes of Qualcomm. Heart rate monitoring now is featured in almost 60% of the smartwatches. Fall detection and SPO2 are the features that should see mass-adoption in future models. Square form-factor accounts for almost two-thirds of the smartwatches globally as the form factor is helping to better fit additional sensors and needed battery footprint. The massive leaps in battery life and processing power are helping to better track overall health as continual heartrate, sleep and other monitoring can be done instead of the device sitting on a charger. The leaps in solar charging technology will also help OEMs concentrate on better monitoring. We expect to continue to see a focus on fitness and wellness applications."

If you've been wanting to check out the upcoming features of Apple Watch, Apple released the second public beta of watchOS 7 today.

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Yardian's latest Pro Sprinkler Controller with HomeKit is available now

Yardian's latest sprinkler controller can make it rain via Siri and HomeKit.

What you need to know

• An updated version of the Yardian Pro Smart Sprinkler Controller that includes HomeKit is now available.
• Smart sprinkler controller promises up to 50% savings in water usage with smart scheduling.
• Latest Yardian Pro comes in eight and twelve zone models, and starts at $150.

Aeon Matrix has announced the release of the second generation Yardian Pro Smart Sprinkler Controller, which includes support for Apple's HomeKit. First spotted by HomeKit News, the updated Yardian Pro, which is available now, promises an easy tool-free installation and automated watering schedules.

The new Yardian Pro is built to help save time, money, and most importantly, the environment. Keep your lawn lush and green while going green! Estimates show this remarkable controller can reduce a household's yard water usage by up to a whopping 50% using its Smart Program and rain skips.

Configuring the system is simple as can be through the Yardian app for iOS and Android, or via Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit. Monitor skip rules, check water usage, and control the entire sprinkler system from anywhere.

Yardian's upgraded controller, which comes in both eight and twelve zone variants, aims to reduce water consumption through smart features such as real-time weather monitoring. Yardian states that owners can see up to a 50% reduction of water usage, through its fully-automated Smart Program, which also factors in soil and plant types, along with sun exposure.

For manual controls, the Yardian Pro works with the Yardian app, Alexa, Google Assistant, and now, Apple's HomeKit via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. In the Yardian app, users can review water usage over time, toggle active zones, customize Skip Rules, and set up a traditional schedule. The app also provides users with visual feedback surrounding plant growth based on the amount of water provided via scheduling.

The new Aeon Matrix Yardian Pro takes the guesswork out of watering your yard by generating a 100% fully-automated Smart Program that helps determine the days and durations to run the sprinklers. The Smart Program optimizes a watering schedule based on the soil, plant type, sun exposure, and much more. It also utilizes real-time weather monitoring which will automatically skip watering during adverse weather conditions like rain or freezing temperature. With its unique "conditional program", it could apply extra water when the temperature is high.

While limited, controls through HomeKit and the Home app allow for on-demand watering with a choice of duration length. The Home app does not currently offer scheduling options, scenes, or automations for HomeKit sprinkler controllers, so the Yardian app or a third-party HomeKit app will still be required for advanced controls.

The Yardian Pro is available now through Yardian.com and via Amazon at a starting price of $149.99 for the eight zone model. The Yardian app is available as a free download on both the App Store and Google Play.

Hey Siri, water the yard!

Yardian Pro Smart Sprinkler Controller

$150 at Amazon (8-zone)$170 at Amazon (12-zone)

Make it rain

The latest Yardian Pro Smart Sprinkler Controller adds support for HomeKit and Siri, enabling convenient voice and Home app controls. Available in both 8 and 12-zone models, the Yardian Pro can cover most yards with ease.

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Modernisation and upping cyber compliance on the agenda for Geoscience Australia

The government agency plans to make security upgrades that are in line with the Essential Eight and keep digital transformation a priority.

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Zuckerberg reportedly testified this week for the FTC - CNET

Another antitrust hearing is reportedly looking into Facebook's acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp.

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The best toaster ovens in 2020 - CNET

Toaster ovens are bulky, inefficient and outdated. There, I said it. Now here's how to find one that's actually worth it.

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The best laptops under $500 for 2020

Just because a laptop is affordable doesn't mean it's bad. These five options are the best for the least.

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An ex-Uber exec might actually go to jail (but not for screwing over drivers)

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ASIC takes former ANZ-owned RI Advice to court over inadequate cybersecurity

Previously owned by ANZ Bank, RI Advice Group has been hauled to court by the financial services watchdog over failure to have adequate cybersecurity systems in place.

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University of Utah pays $457,000 to ransomware gang

University officials restored from backups, but they had to pay the ransomware gang to prevent them from leaking student data.

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Microsoft brings Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 to Windows 10 1903 and 1909

Microsoft is easing the requirement for WSL2. Instead of only working on Windows 10 2004 or higher, WSL also is now available for Windows 10 1903 and 1909 users.

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After inking a deal with Netflix, Trump impersonator Sarah Cooper is also getting a TV show

Image: Sarah Cooper

We already knew that Sarah Cooper, the comedian that has gone viral for her impersonations of Trump, is getting a comedy special on Netflix. And today, Cooper has inked a deal with CBS to adapt one of her books into a TV series, according to Deadline and Variety.

CBS plans to develop a comedy show inspired by Cooper’s book How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings. The show will focus on three females working at a predominantly male company. As you might have guessed from the name of the book, the show will tackle today’s gender politics and their impact on the trio’s professional and personal lives. Cooper will also be involved in the series serving as a co-writer and executive producer.

Sarah Cooper blew up on social just...

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Magic Leap’s lost work The Last Light gets a surprise release after its developers were laid off

Image: Magic Leap

The Last Light, Magic Leap’s in-house mixed reality experience thought to be lost after nearly everyone who made it was laid off, got a surprise — and official — release this week. (We spotted the release thanks to a tweet from former Magic Leap employee Alexandria Heston.)

In The Last Light, you follow along as a young woman, Kayah, moves through a story about her family that plays out on objects in the room in front of you. “It is not a game or a tech demo,” said former Magic leap employee Anastasia Devana on LinkedIn. “It’s essentially a short film that is best experienced alone, in a quiet area, and uninterrupted for around 35-40 minutes or so.”

The Last Light was originally set to premiere at SXSW in March, but the festival was...

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Android 11 phones will summon Android Auto wirelessly, no need to pull out your device

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Apple CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto both seem pretty useful for drivers — simply plug in your phone to charge, and it’ll link up with your car’s bigger touchscreen to give you directions to your doctor’s appointment, play music from your Spotify playlist, or send a text. Google also has an easier version that lets you connect wirelessly to your car stereo without even taking your phone out of your pocket — but it was limited to Google and Samsung phones. Now, Google has quietly announced that any phone running Android 11 will be able to connect to Android Auto, cable-free.

Google’s updated Android Auto support page now notes that “any smartphone with Android 11.0” will be able to connect to Android Auto wirelessly. It’s likely in...

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The final eviction protection for renters ends Monday, Aug. 24 - CNET

In just days, landlords can start filing for evictions if tenants can't make rent. Here's what you need to know.

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The Apple TV app is rolling out to some LG TVs from 2018

Older LG TVs are getting the Apple TV app.

What you need to know

• The Apple TV app is coming to some "older" LG TVs.
• LG released an update that added the app to certain models from 2018.
• The company has been rolling out support for the app to its TVs for the last year.

If you own an LG TV from 2018 and have wished it had the Apple TV app, you are now in luck.

Reported by MacRumors, LG has rolled out an update for some of its televisions from 2018 that has added the Apple TV app. According to the report, several LG TV owners reported on Twitter that they now have the app as an option after installing the update. It appears that the update has gone live in a number of countries, but it is not clear how many will or have received the update.

The move follows LG's commitment to bringing the Apple TV app to its televisions. The company had previously rolled out support on 2019 LG Smart TVs earlier this year, so the next logical step was to bring it to what 2018 models it could.

Earlier this year, LG brought the Apple TV app to select 2019 LG TVs in the United States and more than 80 other countries, and at the time, LG said that 2018 TVs would also get the TV app through a firmware update.

LG owners who have received the update can now use the Apple TV app to watch Apple TV+, subscribe to streaming services that are part of Apple TV Channels, as well as rent or purchase movies and TV shows through iTunes.

The addition of the Apple TV app is just the first step in LG's plans with Apple on its TVs. As noted by the report, the company also plans to add support for AirPlay and HomeKit to its 2018 models as well.

LG has also promised to bring AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support to 2018 smart TVs by October 2020, and the TVs that will get support include "SK" and "UK" LED models and "B8" through "Z8" OLED models. AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support doesn't appear to have rolled out at this time.

If you have received the update, you can find the Apple TV app under the LG Home app Launcher.

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With TV+, you can watch well-produced, big-budget TV shows from famed directors, and starring award-winning actors and actresses across all your Apple devices and with up to six members of your Family Sharing group.

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