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El Salvador plans to create an entire city based on Bitcoin

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El Salvador’s government is throwing even more of its weight behind Bitcoin. Coindesk and BBC News report President Nayib Bukele has unveiled plans to build a “Bitcoin City” near a volcano along the Gulf of Fonseca, between La Unión and Conchagua. The metropolis will have its own geothermal power plant to help support crypto mining, and there will be no capital gains, income, payroll or property taxes, just value added tax.

The city will be shaped like a coin. While it should include the full amenities you’d expect from a city, people in La Unión could travel to work in the new development.

Bukele didn’t provide a timeline for the city’s creation. However, he simultaneously unveiled a $1 billion US “Bitcoin bond” where half would be used to build energy and mining infrastructure, with the rest used to buy more of the digital currency. The strategy chief for bond developer Blockstream, Samson Mow, said El Salvador would start selling crypto holdings after five years and pay an extra dividend to bond holders. With an initial 6.5 percent yield, this could represent a significant windfall for the country if all goes well.

The move is a huge gamble for a company with a gross domestic product of just over $24.6 billion in 2020. Bukele’s administration is counting on Bitcoin to spur economic growth, independence and investment, but this also assumes the monetary format remains on an overall upward trajectory. It’s also unclear if would-be residents and investors will flock to a Bitcoin-oriented city even with tax incentives. This is new territory for cryptocurrency, and it’s not certain if there’s enough support to help the project thrive.

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Facebook has removed more than 6,500 militia groups and pages

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Now, just over a month later, we have a better idea at how many takedowns have actually happened as a result of the policy. Brian Fishman, Director of Counterterrorism and Dangerous Organizations at Facebook, said the company had identified more than 300 organizations, and taken down thousands of pages and groups as a result of the updated rules. Fishman didn’t disclose exactly which groups the takedowns were associated with.

The policy came under scrutiny last month after Facebook failed to remove an event page that called for an armed response to protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, despite several users reporting it. Mark Zuckerberg later called it an “operational mistake.”

Fishman also detailed Facebook’s actions against the far-right extremist group Proud Boys, after the group got renewed attention following Donald Trump’s comments during the presidential debate. He said Facebook had seen “an uptick” in memes and other content related to the Proud Boys, but said “much of this content” was condemning the group and Trump’s remarks. Facebook banned the Proud Boys in 2018, and has recently taken down other accounts associated with it, Fishman said.



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Verizon’s mmWave version of the Pixel 4a 5G costs $100 extra

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Earlier today, Google announced the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, both of which Verizon (Engadget’s parent company) will carry. But if you want to purchase the latter through the carrier, you’ll have to pay $600 or $25 per month on a two-year Verizon Device payment plan to get the device. That’s $100 more than the $499 Google plans to sell the Pixel 4a 5G through its website when the phone goes on sale next month.

You can chalk up the price hike on the fact Verzion’s version of the phone, the Pixel 4a 5G UW, has additional radios and antennas to take advantage of the carrier’s mmWave 5G buildouts. If you live in a city with mmWave coverage, you’ll get access to blazing-fast download speeds, but finding those areas can feel like a scavenger hunt. Here’s the other thing. For a $100 more, you can buy the Pixel 5 through Verizon and get a phone with a bigger battery, IP68 water resistance, Qi wireless charging, a 90Hz display and more RAM. Oh, and it too can connect to Verizon’s mmWave network.

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Peter Parker has been recast in ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered’

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The company didn’t give further explanation regarding why the role was recast. Bryan Intihar, a director on Marvel’s Spider-Man weighed in on the update in a tweet. “… As we discussed the franchise’s future and moving to the PS5, it quickly became apparent that even more believable-looking characters made finding a better facial match for Yuri Lowenthal — who we all love as Peter — a necessity,” Intihar said. He added that he understood fans’ surprise, and said the decision wasn’t made lightly.

Aside from Peter Parker’s new look, we can also expect updated graphics to include ray-traced reflections, ambient shadows and higher-fidelity details on characters. Spider-Man has three new spider suits to traverse New York City in. Further, the game includes a new photo mode initially developed for the upcoming spinoff Marvel’s Spider Man: Miles Morales.

Other updates take advantage of the PS5’s capabilities, like near-instant loading, Spatial 3D audio on compatible headsets, and the DualSense controllers’ vibrations and adaptive triggers. Furthermore, the updated game — and Peter Parker’s new face — will be rendered  at 60 frames per second.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered will be available November 12th when you purchase the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition physically or digitally for $69.99. It’s not clear yet whether you’ll be able to by the remaster on its own yet.



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Here’s everything Google announced at its Pixel 5 event

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The removal of Soli also means the Pixel 5 has a fingerprint sensor and a notch-less design, with a clean pinhole punchout adorning the phone’s 6-inch, 2,340 x 1,080 display. Thankfully, the screen still includes the 90Hz refresh rate of last year’s model. Anyone who has had to put with woeful battery life on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 4 will also be happy to learn the Pixel 5 comes with a larger 4,000mAh capacity battery.  

Some other notable tweaks include a rejigged primary camera system made up of 12-megapixel and 16-megapixel sensors capturing photos from wide and ultra-wide lenses. It wouldn’t be a Pixel launch without new software features for those cameras and Google didn’t disappoint. One new feature is a panning tool that there’s to help you capture smooth video. Rounding out the Pixel 5’s spec list is support for Qi wireless charging, a water-resistant design, 128GB of storage and a price tag that starts at $699.

Pixel 4a 5G

Pixel 4a 5G

Google

Pixel fans will notice we didn’t mention an XL model above. That’s because there’s isn’t one this year. Instead, Google plans to release a more premium version of the Pixel 4a — or a more affordable take on the Pixel 5, if that’s how you want to look at things. The $499 Pixel 4a 5G surprisingly has many of the same marquee features as its more expensive sibling. Both phones feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G processor. They also have the same front and rear camera arrays. What you won’t get with the Pixel 4a 5G is support for Qi wireless charging, waterproofing and a 90Hz display. But it does come with a headphone jack. 

Chromecast

Google Chromecast

Google

Google’s new Chromecast comes with a remote. Yes, Google has finally listened to its customers, but there’s a lot more to its latest streaming puck than merely a new way to control things. Google has gone with an updated design that borrows from both the Chromecast Ultra and its colorful Nest Mini speakers. Inside, the puck features a new processor that allows it to play 4K HDR content at up to 60 frames per second. Additionally, there’s support for Dolby Vision and surround sound.  

As for that remote, it has a built-in microphone for quick and easy Assistant access. In terms of buttons, there are Back, Home, Mute, Power and Input keys, as well as a dedicated volume rocker. It also comes with shortcuts for YouTube and Netflix. Handy that. 

Where things get somewhat confusing is that the new Chromecast runs Google TV. The platform runs on top of Android TV and adds a new interface to the mix that borrows features from Google’s Play Movies and TV app. 

You can grab the Chromecast starting today for $50. 

Nest Audio

Nest Audio

Google

Lastly, Google announced a new smart speaker called Nest Audio. Like the Nest Mini, the Nest Audio is covered in fabric. Google outfitted it with a 19mm tweeter and 75mm mid-woofer. The company says those components allow the Nest Audio to get 75 percent louder than the Google Home. It also produces 50 percent more bass than that speaker. 

On the device, you’ll find LED lights that turn on when you speak to Assistant. But there’s also a mute switch on the back of the speaker if you don’t want the digital helper turning on by accident. It also comes with a Media EQ feature that Google says will automatically tune your Nest Audio depending on what you’re listening to, and there’s support for multi-room audio.

You can also pair two Nest Audios to get stereo imaging, which will be tempting since a single speaker only costs $100.

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How and where to pre-order the Google Pixel 5

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You can pre-order the Pixel 5 starting at $699 at Amazon, Best Buy and Google’s own store.

Buy Pixel 5 at Amazon – $699 Buy Pixel 5 at Best Buy – $699 Buy Pixel 5 at Google – $699

Google Pixel 4a 5G — $499

Google Pixel 4a 5G

Google

This is the 5G version of the Pixel 4a that many have been waiting for since the original debuted during the summer. The hardware is mostly the same as the Pixel 4, but it has a few key differences: it obviously supports 5G and the Pixel 4a 5G also has a larger, 6.2-inch OLED display, the same 16MP ultrawide camera as the Pixel 5 has and a 3,885mAh battery (which is slightly larger than that in the Pixel 4).

The Pixel 4a 5G is currently on waitlist only — you can sign up to be notified when it becomes available at Best Buy and Google’s online store.

Buy Pixel 4a 5G at Best Buy – $499 Buy Pixel 4a 5G at Google – $499

Nest Audio — $99

Google Nest Audio smart speaker

Google

The newest fabric-wrapped smart speaker from Google is the $99 Nest Audio, which has a 19mm tweeter and a 75mm mid-woofer. Google claims it will provide 50 percent more bass and 75 percent more volume than previous Nest speakers. It also supports stereo audio if you have multiple in one household and there’s a mic switch on the device for when you want extra privacy.

You can pre-order the Nest Audio smart speaker for $99 today at Best Buy and Google’s store.

Buy Nest Audio at Best Buy – $99 Buy Nest Audio at Google – $99

Chromecast with Google TV — $49

Google Chromecast with Google TV

Google

The new Chromecast with Google TV is the biggest update to the little streaming dongle that we’ve seen in a long time. The device streams 4K HDR content and supports Dolby Vision, putting it in line with some of the newest streaming devices from Roku, Amazon and Apple. For the first time, it has a proper on-screen OS that you can control with the included voice remote, so you’re not forced to use your connected smartphone anymore. Google TV is essentially Android TV with a new skin plus new features, and you can control the entire thing using Google Assistant voice commands.

You can buy the Chromecast with Google TV at Best Buy, Walmart and Google’s online store.

Buy new Chromecast at Best Buy – $49 Buy new Chromecast at Walmart – $49 Buy new Chromecast at Google – $49

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Yale’s smart robotic fabric is as flexible as you need it to be

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“Our Field’s metal-epoxy composite can become as flexible as latex rubber or as stiff as hard acrylic, over 1,000 times more rigid, just by heating it up or cooling it down,” lead author Trevor Buckner said. “Long fibers of this material can be sewn onto a fabric to give it a supportive skeleton that we can turn on and off.”

In addition, the team developed a liquid-based sensor to detect changes, either with the wearer or in the surrounding environment, that can be literally painted onto the fabric. They also embedded specially-formed shape-memory alloy wires — which bend themselves into preprogrammed shapes when exposed to current — throughout the material, enabling it to take and hold its proper form. Imagine a pair of smart pants that can help the elderly stand or sit with ease from even the deepest of couch cushions.

Well, the material probably won’t be used for smart pants because the research was funded by the Air Force Office of Science Research which hopes to use the stuff in everything from wearable tourniquets and smart cargo netting to self-deploying tents.

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Windows 10 for ARM will support 64-bit x64 apps through emulation

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There still aren’t too many Windows 10 PCs or laptops on the market with ARM-based processors, but folks who do have those machines will soon be able to run 64-bit x64 apps on them. Microsoft says it will at last roll out 64x emulation to Windows Insider testers in November.

Windows 10 has been able to emulate 32-bit x86 apps on ARM for a while, along with native 32-bit and 64-bit apps. Support for x64 emulation will allow those systems to run a far wider selection of software. As such, ARM-based Windows PCs and laptops will have far improved utility.

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Google’s latest smart speaker is the $99 Nest Audio

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Google’s Nest Audio was all but revealed already when it appeared in a Walmart a week ago, but now it’s official. The company just announced its latest Google-powered speaker at its annual Pixel event. As you can tell from the pictures, the Nest Audio is a fabric-clad speaker similar in style to the company’s Nest smart displays except, of course, there’s no display this time. 

According to Google, the new Nest Audio has a 19mm tweeter, a 75mm mid-woofer, all of which will result in “fuller, clearer, more natural sound.” It also apparently has 50 percent more bass and 75 percent more volume than its predecessor. You can pair two Nest Audio speakers together for stereo sound. Google says the Nest Audio is made out of 70 percent recycled plastic.

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Watch Google’s Pixel 5 event with us here at 2PM ET!

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Google’s Pixel 5 event is finally here. The “Launch Night In” starts at 2PM ET/11AM PT, and you can watch it with us below. Alongside the company’s stream, we’ll offer our commentary on all the news in real time. We know that Google will announce a new Pixel phone, Chromecast and smart speaker, and several leaks have already provided additional details on those products. It’ll be interesting to see what’s left to announce.

When Google launched the Pixel 4a in August, it promised that 5G-ready versions of the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 would arrive this fall. We know the 5G devices will start at $499. Thanks to leaks, we also know that they’ll come with OLED displays and be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G processor. They’ll support 18W fast charging, too.

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