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E1 is like Formula E, but with boats

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In a press release, E1’s organizers said they’ll be using the vessel as a “floating paddock.” Teams will have two RaceBirds — one based in Europe, and the other on the competition’s roaming headquarters — so they can effectively compete in races that are located near cities and the same “stunning remote locations” used by Extreme E. It’s not clear if the aquatic competition will be ready by January 23rd, though — the first scheduled Extreme E event, which is meant to take place in Lac Rose, Senegal.

The aquatic motorsport is being co-developed by SailGP, a league dedicated to sailboat racing. It’s also been approved by the UIM, the international governing body of powerboating. Pilots will need to be fast, according to E1, but also strategic. Unlimited charging will be allowed during testing and qualifying, however teams will be restricted to a finite amount during the knockout stages. That could make the sport more exciting and, like Extreme E, also help to highlight environmental issues. “We believe this series will engage not only the sporting public, and boating and tech enthusiasts around the world, but also ocean conservationists who care about the future of our planet,” Agag said.

RaceBird
The RaceBird.

E1

The founder of Formula E and Extreme E is a busy man, so he’ll only be a non-executive chairman for E1. The CEO role will instead fall to Rodi Basso, a former aerospace engineer who has worked with NASA, Ferrari and Red Bull in Formula 1, as well as Magneti Marelli and McLaren Applied Technologies. Basso and Egag came up with the concept in London during the lockdown. “The sea for me is something very important as an expression of nature and somewhere I always go to re-charge my batteries, so this project is the perfect way to celebrate that,” Basso explained.

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Apple’s Irish tax deal will be scrutinized by Europe’s highest court

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Unsurprisingly, Apple disagreed. The company’s appeals were initially unsuccessful, however. In 2016, it started transferring money into an escrow account that would only be emptied once a final decision was made. By September 2018, the company had all of its unpaid taxes, plus interest, in that holding account. Apple hasn’t given up on its legal defence, however, and won a remarkable decision this year. The General Court said the Commission couldn’t prove that Apple was given preferential treatment and, as a result, the deal can’t be declared as state aid. The Commission is desperate to win the case, however, to bring more taxes back into the EU market, which is currently grappling with a pandemic-fuelled downturn.

“If Member States give certain multinational companies tax advantages not available to their rivals, this harms fair competition in the European Union in breach of State aid rules,” Vestager said. “We have to continue to use all tools at our disposal to ensure companies pay their fair share of tax. Otherwise, the public purse and citizens are deprived of funds for much needed investments – the need for which is even more acute now to support Europe’s economic recovery.”

Apple thinks differently. “The General Court categorically annulled the Commission’s case in July and the facts have not changed since then,” a spokesperson for the company said. “This case has never been about how much tax we pay, rather where we are required to pay it. We will review the Commission’s appeal when we receive it, however it will not alter the factual conclusions of the General Court, which prove that we have always abided by the law in Ireland, as we do everywhere we operate.”

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AirPods Pro with AppleCare are just $230 at B&H until Sunday

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Apple AirPods Pro at Amazon – $219

A pair of AirPods Pro typically costs $249, and the lowest price you can get it for at this moment is $219 on Amazon, where you can add $19 for an AppleCare+ plan. Still, that’s $8 more than this bundle. You can also always purchase the earphones directly from Apple’s website, but a pair with AppleCare+ will set you back $278, or $48 more than B&H’s limited-time combo offer.

Apple released the AirPods Pro almost a year ago in October 2019. They’re a true wireless earbud model with built-in H1 chip, hands-free Siri, active noise cancellation, transparency mode and on-board controls. For people who have ear shapes not suited for the regular AirPods, though, the Pro’s new design and silicone ear tips are probably its best features. The earbuds, which boast better sound quality than their predecessors, are also sweat and water resistant.

We called the AirPods Pro Apple’s best true wireless earbuds to date in our review and gave them a score of 87. Like any other device in the category, though, they’re easy to drop and lose, especially if you also use them while exercising. AppleCare+ lets you replace a damaged earbud or charging case for $29 per incident instead of having to pay full price for them. You can avail of the plan’s reduced pricing for two incidents within two years, since it also extends Apple’s typical one—year warranty. In addition, it also gets you battery service coverage and express access to the company’s tech-support desk.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.



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Apple reportedly bought the topic-based podcast app Scout FM

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Apple has purchased Scout FM, an app that makes it easy to find podcasts tailored to your tastes, according to Bloomberg. Rather than just letting you choose individual podcasts, Scout FM curates them based on your listening history. Much like YouTube or TikTok, its AI algorithms adjust to your preferences over time, removing things you tend to skip.

Apple confirmed the acquisition, which reportedly happened earlier this year. The app used to be available on iOS (including CarPlay), Android and Alexa, but Apple shut it down on all platforms shortly after the deal was made.

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Apple is allowing Solo Loop returns without sending back the Watch

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With the launch of the Watch Series 6 and Watch SE, Apple also introduced clasp-free stretch bands, the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop. However, sizing them proved to be tricky despite a printable price/size chart, so many buyers found themselves with an ill-fitting band. To make matters worse, Apple’s return policy meant that you had to send back the entire Watch to get the band replaced, a process that could have taken until November.

Apple Solo Loop Watch band returns

Apple

Apple has now addressed issues of fit and returns, according to MacRumors and several Twitter users. You can reportedly send back the band only and should be able to get the return processed in a matter of days. On top of that, Apple has released a new, more detailed sizing chart for the bands that makes it easier to pick the right size. To use it, you’ll need to print it, cut it out and wrap it around your wrist and the correct size among the nine available will appear between the green arrows, as shown above.



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Roland’s synth engine comes to mobile devices with the Zenbeats 2.0 app

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Roland has rolled out an upgraded version of its cross-platform digital audio workstation app, and it comes with several feature and workflow enhancements. The biggest addition to Zenbeats 2.0, though, is ZC1, which brings the company’s Zen-Core synth engine to mobile. Roland launched Zen-Core back in January, offering musicians a synth system that works across a wide variety of its instruments. It gives users a consistent level of quality regardless of the instrument and the hardware a sound was created on. ZC-1 is the company’s first mobile-ready synth that’s powered by the Zen-Core engine.

Zenbeats 2.0 is now also part of the Roland Cloud platform, which costs between $3 and $20 a month, depending on the tier. Members from all levels will get access to Zenbeats 2.0’s full set of features, but users don’t actually have to subscribe to be able to use the new app. There’s still a free version for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows, and users can simply upgrade to a paid tier if they want access to everything Zenbeats 2.0 has to offer, including 800 presets and 90 built-in MFX.

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Twitter’s changes since the June attack include requiring security keys

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As an additional measure, Twitter started distributing phishing-resistant security keys to its employees and requiring its teams around the world to use them. Google implemented the measure in 2017 to great success: A year after making it mandatory for employees to use physical security keys for two-factor authentication, the tech giant announced that it has “no reported or confirmed account takeovers” anymore.

Twitter required all new employees to go through security, privacy and data protection trainings, as well. Those who have access to non-public data had to attend additional mandatory training sessions on how they can avoid becoming phishing targets for attackers. The company also said that it’s been constantly improving its internal detection and monitoring tools that alert the company of possible unauthorized access attempts.

As for its election-specific efforts, Twitter said it recently implemented heightened security measures for election-related Twitter accounts in the US. A few days ago, it started sending them in-app notifications on new security requirements going forward, such as enabling password reset protection for accounts by default. It also conducted additional penetration testing and scenario planning over the past months. From March 1st to August 1st, for instance, its cross-functional elections team performed exercises on how to deal with hacks, leaks of stole materials, foreign interference and coordinated online voter suppression campaigns, among other scenarios.

As a closer to its post, Twitter promised to roll out improvements to its privacy settings in the near future:

“We are continuing to invest more in the teams, technology, and resources to support this critical work. We also know that we can do more to make it easier for you to find and use the settings and controls we offer, so we’re working on rolling out improvements to the design and navigation of our privacy settings. You’ll see these improvements in Twitter soon.”



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Google server problems took out Gmail and other services briefly

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It feels unusual to see internet problems that aren’t related to someone trying to pre-order gaming equipment, but this evening users on the East and West coasts of the US experienced issues accessing Google services like Gmail, Google Docs, and even YouTube.

As noted on trackers like DownDetector, the issue seemed to peak at about 9PM ET. Eventually Google’s server status updated to note the issue, and said it was resolved fully by around 10 PM. In a statement to Engadget, a Google Cloud spokesperson said “We experienced a short service disruption affecting several products including G Suite, and are now recovering.”

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The first ‘Left 4 Dead 2’ expansion in years is available now for free

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In yet another unexpected development from 2020, there’s a massive content update available for Left 4 Dead 2. Valve’s co-op zombie shooter was originally released in 2009, but the community is still active enough to produce a new content pack dubbed The Last Stand. There are new achievements, weapons and dialog, as well as “twenty new Survival Arenas, four Scavenge Arenas and a Campaign based on The Lighthouse Survival map.”

The Last Stand DLC is available for free to all players on PC, and even if you haven’t purchased Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam, the entire game is available for free this weekend so you can play it over the next three days. A changelog details over 1,000 tweaks, and if you’d like to keep playing beyond Sunday, the game is available for just $2.

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iOS 14 update fixes a bug that reset your browser and mail defaults

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One of the notable changes in iOS 14 is that it finally allowed users to set new default apps for their web browser and email. Chrome, Firefox, Gmail and others are already taking advantage of the setting, but after the update rolled out last week, many iPhone and iPad owners noticed their devices would go back to the original settings after a restart.

This afternoon Apple pushed out iOS 14.0.1 and iPadOS 14.0.1, which addresses that issue. If you haven’t received it already then you should be able to nab the download by manually checking for an update, which 9to5Mac shows is around 171MB to download. Other tweaks in the update address camera previews, problems connecting to WiFi, and a problem that could block images from the widget for Apple News. tvOS and watchOS have also received small bug fixes, so go ahead and update everything Apple just to be sure you’re covered.

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