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Comcast officially purchases Xumo ad-supported streaming service

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“We are excited for this team to join Comcast and look forward to supporting them as they continue to innovate and develop their offerings,” the spokesperson said. Xumo will be operating as an independent business within Comcast, though it will be overseen by the cable giant’s senior VP Rebecca Heap.

While the terms of the acquisition weren’t revealed, CNBC says Comcast paid at least 100 million for Xumo. As the publication notes, the company could use Xumo’s prime placement on smart TVs, including models from Panasonic and Vizio, to advertise its Xfinity internet services to cable cutters. It could also build streaming products on top of its technology.

Whatever its reason is, Comcast is merely one of the media giants snapping up free ad-supported streaming services to tack onto their businesses. Viacom purchased streaming startup Pluto TV last year. And even the Comcast-owned NBCUniversal is reportedly in the midst of negotiations with Walmart to purchase Vudu even as it prepares for the launch of its Peacock streaming platform.

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Uber, Lyft may create more CO2 emissions than trips they displace

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The Union suggests that these services will not only want to electrify their fleets, but increase the rates of carpooling beyond the 15 percent seen today. If carpooling jumps to 50 percent, the scientists estimate EV trips could generate about half the emissions of the trips they’re displacing. This would have the upshot of reducing the traffic congestion that adds to the problem.

Not surprisingly, the companies at the heart of the criticism see themselves differently. An Uber spokesperson told Engadget the company wanted to be “part of the solution” tackling climate change, and that it invested in efforts that shrank car ownership, increase carpooling and fostered alternatives like bikes, scooters and public transportation.

Lyft, meanwhile, was more accusatory. It said in a statement to Engadget that the study made “misleading claims about rideshare” and pointed to its own EV, shared ride and mass transit initiatives. It was “eager” to help cities push “shared, sustainable transportation.” The firm went on to elaborate its objections, too. It contended that ride-hailing companies made up just a small fraction of traveled miles, that the researchers hadn’t accounted for changes in behavior (such as biking to work knowing Lyft is available if it rains) or the number of rides people aren’t taking after ditching cars.

Whether or not those claims hold up, the study does raise questions as to whether or not Uber, Lyft and others are doing enough to minimize their impact. It’s relatively easy to announce plans to electrify or offer bikes — it’s another to hold yourself to aggressive goals and provide strong incentives to avoid conventional, non-pooled rides. ‘Traditional’ Uber and Lyft rides could remain popular so long as people are in a hurry and won’t see any particular advantage to holding out for an EV.

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Grimes details her character’s backstory in ‘Cyberpunk 2077’

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Grimes (aka Claire Boucher) said she plays Lizzy Wizzy, a pop star who killed herself on stage — doctors performed “emergency surgery” to replace her whole body with cybernetics, and she went on to continue the gig and her career as a cyborg. It’s one of the “greatest pieces of performance art ever made,” Grimes said.

It’s unclear if other celebrities will have a substantial presence in the game. However, Grimes’ appearance suggests that CD Projekt Red’s move to recruit Keanu was really just part of a larger strategy to put well-known faces into the game. We wouldn’t expect to see a deluge of actors and artists, but we wouldn’t be surprised, either.

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YouTube hires a liaison to help it work better with creators

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The new hire might have a lot to handle in short order. YouTubers have had a range of complaints, ranging from unexpected changes to suggestions that tank viewership through to mistaken demonetization and inconsistent policy enforcement. At the same time, YouTube hasn’t always had the best time communicating its intentions, leading to creators inadvertently breaking the rules or worrying about crackdowns.

This probably won’t solve all of the disagreements between YouTube and the video producers that are its bread and butter. Kovalakides is just one person and won’t have a complete view of every siutation. He might help YouTube address problems before they reach crisis levels, though, and ensure that creators know where they stand before they publish their next clips.



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Disney CEO Bob Iger steps down after getting Disney+ off the ground

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After guiding Disney through the acquisition of Fox and launching its direct-to-consumer efforts that center around Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu, CEO Bob Iger is stepping down from his post. “Effective immediately,” former Disney Parks Chairman Bob Chapek is taking over and will report to Iger while he serves as executive chairman and leads “creative endeavors” through the end of his contract next year.

In a statement announcing the move, Iger said “”With the successful launch of Disney’s direct-to-consumer businesses and the integration of Twenty-First Century Fox well underway, I believe this is the optimal time to transition to a new CEO.”

As far as Chapek’s experience, he’s worked there for more than two decades, and the press release notes that he spearheaded the infamous “Disney Vault” strategy for handling its iconic films as they were released for home viewing on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray.

Asked on a call with investors about the timing of the move, Iger said that it made sense to turn over day-to-day management of the company to Chapek so that he can use his remaining time to focus on creative aspects of the company. According to him, the move wasn’t accelerated “for any particular reason.”

With Chapek continuing to report to Iger, it doesn’t seem like things materially change at Disney much right now, but the move is announced right after the company revealed Disney+ has already grown to over 26 million subscribers. It’s also preparing to launch widely in Europe, and we’re still months out from the arrival of The Mandalorian season two and tons of Baby Yoda merchandise.

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Smithsonian opens up 2.8 million images to the public

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The Smithsonian is encouraging the public to view, use and reuse the content however they see fit. The collection is listed under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, which removes previous restrictions and copyrights, and it includes everything from portraits of Ida B. Wells to images of Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Vega 5B, 3D models of the miniscule, like the Eulaema bee, and models of the gargantuan, like Cassiopeia A supernova remnant.

The material represents almost two centuries of scientific data, and the Smithsonian says this is just the beginning. Throughout the rest of 2020, it will be adding another 200,00 images, with more to come as it digitizes the 155 million items in its collection.

“The sheer scale of this interdisciplinary dataset is astonishing,” Simon Tanner, an expert in digital cultural heritage at King’s College London and an advisor for the Open Access Initiative, told Smithsonian Magazine. “It opens up a much wider scope of content that crosses science and culture, space and time, in a way that no other collection out there has done, or could possibly even do. This is a staggering contribution to human knowledge.”

If you’re not sure where to dive in, you might enjoy the 3D model of the space shuttle Discovery. Thanks to a partnership between the Smithsonian and Cesium, a shareable, high-res 3D rendering is available through Open Access, allowing anyone to rotate, zoom in and study the space shuttle up close.

“We are proud that our technology will give researchers, educators, and the public the ability to study 3D models in the Smithsonian’s collection in the highest resolution detail from anywhere in the world,” said Cesium CEO Patrick Cozzi.

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Crunchyroll details its first eight original anime productions

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The originals cover a variety of genres. For example, one of the more notable shows coming from the company over the next year includes FreakAngels, an adaptation of a graphic novel series that shares the same name by Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield.

Half of the series were produced by Crunchyroll Studios, with production duties on the remaining four handled by a couple of other high-profile studios in Japan, including Production I.G. (Psycho-Pass, Ghost in the Shell) and MAPPA (Yuri on Ice). As The Verge notes, Crunchyroll is the first anime streamer to found its own animation studio. However, this isn’t the company’s first foray into producing original content. Over the last couple of years, it has helped fund the creation of shows like A Place Further Than the Universe. That said, it’s easy to see why Crunchyroll is now taking on a more direct role.

Once the undisputed king of anime streaming, Crunchyroll has since had to fend off big players like Netflix and Amazon as those companies have tried to expand the appeal of their streaming services by snatching up the rights to high-profile series like Neon Genesis Evangelion. Netflix, in particular, hasn’t been shy about using part of its budget to commission exclusive content. Crunchyroll likely hopes the new series will both attract new subscribers and keep current ones from jumping ship.

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NTSB chair eviscerates Tesla for inaction over Autopilot concerns

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“Government regulators have provided scant oversight” over the semi-autonomous driving systems that are quickly becoming standard features on modern automobiles, NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt declared. While the NTSB does not have the authority to enforce safety measures, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can issue recalls for unsafe vehicle tech.

The NTSB also determined via cellphone records and device data that Huang’s phone was running a mobile game at the time of the crash. While the NTSB could not determine whether Huang had the phone in his hands when the crash occurred, the Tesla’s data logs indicate that his hands were not on the steering wheel in the six seconds preceding the accident. This reportedly wasn’t the first time that Huang’s vehicle had swerved towards a median divider.

After the accident Huang’s brother told reporters that the vehicle had attempted to drive into that section of wall the previous March and that he’d complained to the dealership about it. Tesla maintains that Huang himself is responsible for the crash that took his life.

Sumwalt also pointed out Tuesday that the NTSB has, as far back as 2017, been contacting automakers regarding the safety implications of these autonomous driving systems. According to Sumwalt, VW, Nissan and BMW all promptly responded to the NTSB’s recommendations about making these systems harder to misuse.

“Sadly, one manufacturer has ignored us, and that manufacturer is Tesla,” Sumwalt said. “We ask that recommendation recipients respond to us within 90 days. That’s all we ask. But it’s been 881 days since these recommendations were sent to Tesla and we’ve heard nothing. We’re still waiting.”

We’ve reached out to Tesla for comment and will update this post when the company responds.



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Samsung finally adds period tracking to its Health app

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It’s about time Samsung added the capability. Apple, Fitbit, Garmin and many third-party apps already offer period tracking. A quick scroll through Samsung forums shows that users have been calling for this addition for years. Many have questioned why women’s health was not more of a priority.

As Engadget’s Nicole Lee has pointed out, how effective period-tracking and fertility apps are depends on what you’re using them for. For simply predicting when your next period will start, the apps use past cycle data and can be helpful. It gets a little trickier when you start using the apps to conceive. If you’re looking for an app that can act as a contraceptive, you’re better off with an FDA-approved option like Natural Cycles, and if you’re pregnant, you may find pregnancy health apps more than a little disappointing.

The addition of period tracking is part of Samsung’s attempt to make Samsung Health more comprehensive, allowing it to do more than simply track activity. Last year, Samsung Health added Calm’s meditation, relaxation and sleep services. Samsung also brought blood-pressure monitoring and stress detection to its Galaxy Watch Active, but in those cases, too, Samsung was chasing competitors who had already introduced similar features.

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Samsung Galaxy S20 is the first phone certified for USB fast charging

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In order for fast chargers to work as intended, they need to deliver power at the specific voltage and current required by the device, and both the charger and handset need to be able to communicate, The Verge explains. If they can’t do this, the charger and phone will default to a lower charging rate. The USB-IF fast-charger certification is meant to show that the S20 series can fulfill its end of that bargain.

The S20 and S20 Plus will support fast charging up to 25W, and the S20 Ultra will support fast charging up to 45W. You’ll still need a capable charger, but those should become more common as fast-charging tech advances. Last year, Samsung released two new USB-C power delivery (PD) controller chips for power adapters, which support up to 100W-charging and meet USB-PD 3.0 specifications, delivering the optimum power for each device.

The S20+ and S20 Ultra will be available in the US on March 6th. Samsung promises the phones will include more 5G support and an impressive camera setup. The batteries start at 4,000mAh in the S20 and only get better from there. The screens support HDR10+, have even smaller camera cutouts than predecessors and come with refresh rates as high as 120Hz. On top of those features, the USB-IF fast-charging certification is a nice bonus.

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