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Friday, 6 November 2020

Disneyland's troubles explained: Here's when the theme parks can reopen - CNET

As Disney reopens shopping inside California Adventure's Buena Visa Street, here's how California's state rules will affect the reopening of the iconic original Disney theme park.

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Here's how social media companies are fighting election misinformation - CNET

The tech companies say they're better prepared to tackle interference than they were four years ago.

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Each state has a favorite Thanksgiving side dish, and some might surprise you - CNET

Maine makes the only healthy choice, but Indiana's pick is egg-ceptional.

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Samsung has already begun mass producing the Galaxy S21, report says - CNET

The tech giant is reportedly already mass-producing its next phone.

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Miles Taylor, who came out as 'Anonymous,' is out at Google - CNET

The former DHS official drew criticism from Google employees for the Trump administration's immigration policies.

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It might not feel like it, but the election is working

The election process is working. 

long-building “chaos” narrative being pushed by President Donald Trump suggests that the election is fatally flawed, fraud is rampant, and no institutions other than Trump himself can be trusted. There is no evidence for any of that, and as the election math increasingly turns against him, the actual election systems around America continue functioning well.

Nothing about the 2020 elections is normal, of course, because nothing about 2020 is normal. The fact that the vote count is slower than usual is unavoidably stressful—but it’s also exactly what officials and experts have said for months would happen as every vote is counted. 

“I think how the election process has played out has been remarkable,” says David Levine, the elections integrity fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy. “I think the entire country owes a tremendous gratitude to state and local election officials and those that have worked closely with them against the backdrop of foreign interference, coronavirus pandemic, civil unrest, and frankly inadequate support from the federal government. We have an election that has gone reasonably well.” 

By any measure, the 2020 election scores better than any in recent history on security, integrity, and turnout. Election infrastructure is more secure: the Department of Homeland Security installed Albert sensors in election systems, which warn officials of intrusion by hackers, and the National Security Agency has been aggressively hunting hacking groups and handing intelligence to officials around the country. Election officials have invested in paper backup systems so they can more easily recover from technical problems.

There are still weak points, especially with the electronic poll books used to sign voters in and with verifying results when a candidate demands a recount. But more states now have paper records as a backup to electronic voting, and more audits will take place this year than in any previous American election.

The pandemic itself is one reason for these improvements. The increase in mail-in and early voting meant that ballots were cast over a month-long period. That helps security because activity isn’t all focused on a single day, said a CISA official in a press briefing. It gives election officials more time to deal with both normal mistakes and malicious attacks, and any problems that do arise affect fewer voters. And more Americans will want to vote this way in the future, said Benjamin Hovland, the top federal elections official and a Trump appointee.

That means the pandemic that many feared would wreck the election has paradoxically made the system stronger. “All of that uncertainty resulted in tremendous scrutiny and transparency, and most importantly, public education about all of these administrative processes,” says Eddie Perez, an elections expert at the Open Source Election Technology Institute. 

The calls from the president and his allies to stop vote counts can still undermine confidence in the outcome. But so far, few of Trump’s arguments have carried any weight in court. Judges denied or threw out lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan on Thursday. Even calls for recounts look unconvincing right now. Historically, recounts matter when races are within just a few hundred votes in a single state, as in the 2000 election. Right now, all of the half-dozen contested states have margins much bigger than that. 

And while the president’s family and allies have been attacking fellow Republicans for not sufficiently supporting his efforts, several prominent party members have publicly rebuked him for his impatience, including Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader. “All things considered, I think that the media and the public are doing a better than average job at remaining patient and resisting inflammatory rhetoric,” says Perez.

“This election is going remarkably well considering the obstacles election officials have faced all year long,” says Mark Lindeman, co-director of the election integrity organization Verified Voting. “Election officials in many states have had to field two entirely new election systems: massive-scale mail ballots where they have handled only a handful in the past, and also reengineering in-person voting to accommodate social distancing. There’s a chaos narrative, but what I see is not chaos. What I see is people working very hard to finish a difficult job.”

On Thursday evening, Trump gave a rambling news conference in which he repeated his many unsubstantiated claims about fraud. Most of the news networks cut away after a minute or two. Even Fox News’s anchors said afterwards that they “hadn’t seen the evidence” for Trump’s claims. The president seemed, they said, to be readying for Biden to be declared the winner—but then to start mounting legal challenges. The counting may be over soon, but the election is far from finished.

This is an excerpt from The Outcome, our daily email on election integrity and security. Click here to get regular updates straight to your inbox.



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Facebook considers becoming mildly less convenient in hopes of saving democracy


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Apple will require apps to add privacy ‘nutrition labels’ starting December 8th

Image: Apple

Apple debuted a collection of privacy features when it announced iOS 14, but the company’s privacy “nutrition label” concept did not arrive with the launch of the new operating system in September. Today, Apple announced that developers will be required to provide the information for those “labels” starting December 8th.

Like a normal nutrition label that lists ingredients and caloric content, these privacy “labels” should give you a better idea of what’s going on inside an app before you download it from the iOS App Store or Mac App Store. The labels will list what information an app collects, and present that visually on the app page, much like looking at the backs of labels in a grocery store.

Image: Apple
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TV networks cut away from Trump’s ‘most dishonest speech’ ever

President Trump Speaks From The James S. Brady Briefing Room At The White House President Trump spoke Thursday evening at the White House | Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Cable networks, broadcast networks and Twitter cut short their broadcasts of President Donald Trump’s speech from the White House briefing room Thursday; some outlets fact-checked the president’s unproven statements rather than carry them live.

Trump began his remarks by baselessly claiming that Democrats were committing “fraud” and trying to “steal” the election. “If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” the president said, even though the counting of legal votes is still happening. There are several key states, including Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Arizona, which are still tallying votes. Neither the president nor the Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, has enough electoral college votes yet to win. Many of those...

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Tesla’s Tequila exists, pricily

Elon Musk has branched out from rockets and cars into booze — as Tesla has launched Tesla Tequila on its website today. If you have $250 burning a hole in your pocket, you can pick up your very own lightning-shaped bottle.

A screenshot of Tesla’s website.

The original branding was Teslaquila, but that must have been jettisoned somewhere along the way. (Well, the idea did start as an April Fools’ Day joke.) Orders are limited to two bottles, and only people in some states can receive them because of “industry regulations.”

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52 of the best TV shows to stream on Netflix - CNET

Searching for a great show to binge? Here are some of the best Netflix has to offer.

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Giant iceberg makes alarming beeline for wildlife haven of seals, penguins - CNET

Iceberg A68a could threaten the island's ecosystem.

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Election 2020: Facebook, Twitter and YouTube wrestle with misinformation - CNET

The social media sites have their hands full as the count continues.

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Apple Silicon Mac event: What we know, and what we don’t (YouTube video)

Apple will host its next special event, titled “One More Thing,” on November 10. The biggest announcement is bound to be the release of the very first Macs powered by Apple Silicon. From price and launch date to specs, Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld senior writer Michael Simon join Juliet Beauchamp to discuss what they know and what they don’t about Apple’s upcoming additions to the Mac lineup.

To read this article in full, please click here



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Leather MagSafe cases available to order starting Friday, November 6

The Leather MagSafe cases are coming.

What you need to know

  • Leather cases with MagSafe will be available to order starting on Friday, November 6.
  • The Leather sleeves and MagSafe Duo Charger will be available "at a later date."
  • Silicone cases with MagSafe for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max are still listed as "Coming Soon."

In a press release that aimed to build up excitement around preorders for the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and HomePod mini, Apple also confirmed when Leather cases with MagSafe will be available to order.

At the bottom of the release, there was one paragraph that confirmed the Leather cases with MagSafe for all iPhone 12 models will be available to order on Friday, November 6. Preorders for the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and HomePod mini will go live on the same date.

Apple also mentioned that Leather sleeves and the MagSafe Duo Charger, which the company highlighted at its iPhone 12 event in October, will be available "at a later date." It is unclear if those accessories will make a 2020 launch or be pushed out into 2021.

MagSafe accessories will be available from apple.com, in the Apple Store app, and in stores. Leather cases with MagSafe for all iPhone 12 models will be available to order beginning Friday, November 6. Leather sleeves and MagSafe Duo Charger will be available at a later date.

If Apple's cases for the iPhone 12 aren't your thing, check out our list of the Best iPhone 12 Cases.

Apple did not mention the availability of the Silicone cases with MagSafe for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max in the press release, but both are still listed as "Coming Soon" on the Apple Store website. It is likely that those cases should be available to order tomorrow as well as they were available when the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro was available to preorder.



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Why you should update your iPhone right now. And no, it's not just for the emoji.


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The 32 best movies to watch on Netflix - CNET

Don't know what to watch tonight? Here are some of the best movies Netflix has to offer.

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Hands-on with the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max - CNET

I spent a little time with the smallest and biggest new iPhones: Here's what I thought.

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What to watch on Disney Plus for New Year's Eve - CNET

Staying up for the fireworks? Here's what to watch to get you in the mood for the New Year.

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'Tis the season: Stock up now on a deeply discounted Christmas tree and inflatable yard art - CNET

Get a 7-foot prelit Christmas tree for $90, and an adorable dog fetching Santa for $43.

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The Haunting of Bly Manor ending explained, and all your questions answered - CNET

Dani's beautifully haunting love story has a few complicated knots. Here are some answers to everything that happened in the Netflix horror.

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Here's every qualification that could change with a new stimulus check - CNET

Many top US lawmakers want to send out a second $1,200 stimulus check to hundreds of millions of Americans, but any changes to the requirements could also affect your total.

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Get your first hands-on look at the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max

The first video comparison between the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max is out.

What you need to know

  • The Verge has posted a video about the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
  • The video does a quick comparison between the sizes of the new iPhones.
  • The full review of each phone is not yet out.

The Verge has posted a video with a size comparison between the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. It is one of the first times that we've gotten to see the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max in the wild.

While the video is not a full review of either device, it does offer some first impressions of each one of the new iPhones. The iPhone 12 mini, for instance, packs a 5.4-inch display into one of the smallest iPhones that Apple has ever made. While this makes accessing top menus like Notification Center and Control Center much easier, it also does mean an adjustment when it comes to typing.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max comes in on the opposite end of the size spectrum as the largest iPhone that Apple has ever made. While the screen size will be great for those who want a big phone, the Verge does mention that you wouldn't want to drop it on your face while watching videos in bed.

The big round of review videos and articles are expected to hit on Monday, November 9, according to an earlier report. Apple is apparently trying to avoid the new iPhones taking the spotlight away from its Apple Silicon event on Tuesday, November 10.

You can watch the full video of the size comparison between the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max below:



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