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Amazon snaps up Critical Role animated series as a Prime exclusive

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You should hear more about the “logistical details” of the arrangement in late 2020. The core cast members will both reprise their roles and serve as executive producers, including Matthew Mercer (McCree in Overwatch) and Laura Bailey (Nadine Ross in Uncharted). Vox Machina will revolve around a story from Critical Role’s campaign that sees a group of drunken adventurers bond like family while they slay the forces of evil.

It’s not completely surprising that Amazon would land a deal. In addition to its eagerness to seize on internet trends, the funding helps keep Amazon’s costs down and suggests there’s sizeable viewership. It’s also convenient that Amazon owns Twitch, where Critical Role built its reputation by streaming live role-playing sessions. At the same time, this is a validation of Critical Role’s strategy — it shows that a livestreaming series with a huge following can translate that success to the on-demand world.

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Tesla and Walmart settle lawsuit over solar panel fires

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Walmart declined to detail the terms of the settlement, although it did confirm to Engadget that the solar panels would remain. We’ve asked Tesla and will let you know if there’s a response. Given that Walmart had originally asked its energy partner to pay for removing panels from all 240 stores, this is arguably a victory (if likely at a cost) for Tesla — it avoided losing a major customer.

It’s coming at a crucial moment for Tesla. The company’s solar energy business has been on the decline, and it just introduced its third-generation Solar Roof tiles in a bid to reinvigorate its sales. While the settlement certainly doesn’t constitute a recovery, it could help Tesla focus on growing instead of minimizing its losses.

“Walmart and Tesla are pleased to have resolved the issues raised by Walmart concerning the Tesla solar installations at Walmart stores. Safety is a top priority for each company and with the concerns being addressed, we both look forward to a safe re-energization of our sustainable energy systems.”

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Barsys Smart Coaster tells you how to pour the perfect cocktail

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Barsys wants to make mixing a cocktail as easy as grabbing a beer or pouring a glass of wine. “Most people don’t realize how many great cocktails they can make from just a few simple ingredients. All they’re missing is the know how to put it together,” Barsys Founder and CEO Akshet Tewari said in a press release.

When the coaster officially launches in December, it will sell for $149. That makes it an affordable alternative to the company’s $1,500-robotic bartender and other “Keurig of cocktails” devices.

Customers who pre-order the coaster can get the device for $95. All pre-orders will also get a free Barsys Electromagnetic Mixer, which sits on top of the coaster and automatically stirs cocktails. In the meantime, you can peruse the free Barsys app and start picking the cocktails you’ll make.

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In-brain electrodes are the latest weapon against opioid addiction

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Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, is a form of surgery that places electrodes inside the patient’s brain — in this case, in the self-control and pleasure centers. An external device sends electrical pulses to interrupt the patient’s typical brain behavior, such as an addict’s craving a drug or an obsessive compulsive disorder patient’s feeling an urge to perform a ritual. In the case of opioid addiction treatment, the impulses will presumably train the patient’s brain to no longer crave the drugs. “Addiction is a brain disease involving the reward centers in the brain, and we need to explore new technologies, such as the use of DBS, to help those severely impacted by opioid use disorder,” says Ali Rezai, M.D., principal investigator and executive chair of the RNI. DBS is already FDA-approved and used to treat Parkinson’s disease, major depressive disorder, and epilepsy among others, and has shown promising results.

West Virginia has the highest age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving opioids, according to RNI. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that overdose deaths involving opioids in the state occurred at a rate of 49.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2017. This procedure may prove to be a viable form of treatment for those who do not respond to medication, psychological care, or residential programs if it is eventually approved by the FDA. As the opioid addiction crisis shows no signs of slowing, it does seem like a badly-needed solution.

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FCC formally approves the T-Mobile-Sprint merger

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The FCC believes the deal will close the digital divide and advance 5G in the US. T-Mobile and Sprint have committed to deploying 5G service to cover 97 percent of Americans within three years. They’ve also pledged to provide 90 percent of Americans with access to mobile service with speeds of at least 100 Mbps within six years. The FCC’s approval is conditional on those promises, and the parties could be fined over $2 billion if they don’t meet those goals.

According to the Commission, the merger will not harm competition — though several state attorneys general and a couple of FCC commissioners have argued otherwise. “While the parties promise their merger will accelerate the availability of some form of ‘5G’ for some Americans, history teaches us that the most likely effect of this merger will be higher prices and fewer options for all Americans,” said Commissioner Geoffrey Starks in a statement.

It’s not surprising, though, that the FCC formally approved the merger today. The deal has already been approved by the Department of Justice. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai endorsed it this summer, and last month, the Commission voted. Normally, in this case a deal would close. However, there is a chance the lawsuit filed by state attorneys general could still block or delay the merger.

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Segway’s first electric dirt bikes arrive in early 2020

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The X160 is the smaller bike meant for places where agility matters more than power. It only has an estimated 40.4-mile range and a 31.1MPH top speed, but it might be better for maneuvering on twisty trails thanks to its 17-inch wheels and overall more compact frame. The X260 is considerably more powerful with a 74.6-mile range and a 46.6MPH top speed, although its 19-inch wheels make it clear this is for more open-air environments.

Both bikes launch in the first quarter of 2020 at prices of $3,000 for the X160 and $4,500 for the X260. There will also be an Indiegogo campaign starting November 25h for those determined to get in early. You might not scramble to buy one unless you’re already in the market, but look at it this way: it’ll go nicely with your Segway e-skates.

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FTC fines AT&T $60 million for throttling unlimited data plans

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As part of the settlement, AT&T customers who signed up for one of the company’s unlimited plans before 2011, the year the carrier first implemented its throttling policy, are entitled to a “partial refunds.” Additionally, moving forward AT&T must disclose whenever its plans include any sort of restrictions. “The disclosures need to be prominent, not buried in fine print or hidden behind hyperlinks,” the agency says. According to the FTC, AT&T’s throttling practices affected as many as 3.5 million customers as of 2014.

“AT&T promised unlimited data — without qualification — and failed to deliver on that promise,” said Andrew Smith, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a prepared statement. “While it seems obvious, it bears repeating that Internet providers must tell people about any restrictions on the speed or amount of data promised.”

We’ve reached out to AT&T for comment, and we’ll update this article when we hear back from the company.

This isn’t the first time AT&T has landed in hot water with a federal agency for slowing down internet speeds. Back in 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) slapped the carrier with a $100 million fine for throttling customers without first notifying them. At the time, the fine was the biggest in FCC history.

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More than 11,000 scientists declare a ‘climate emergency’

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The paper is an attempt to “tell it like it is” and to provide easy-to-understand indicators to measure the human influence on climate change. It outlines six policy areas that must be addressed to curb global warming.

The paper, “World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency,” was released one day after the Trump administration began the formal process of withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement — a pact signed by 188 nations to combat climate change. The study stands in stark contrast to the Administration’s decision.

Several European cities have declared a climate emergency. New York’s City Council and San Francisco have done the same, and bills labeling global warming as an emergency are working their way through the House and Senate. But this marks the first time a large group of scientists from around the globe have declared climate change an emergency.

Still, the scientists say we need to act faster. “Despite 40 years of global climate negotiations, with few exceptions, we have generally conducted business as usual and have largely failed to address this predicament,” the paper reads.

The study encourages people to look at indicators other than global surface temperature — like economics, population growth rates, meat production and global tree cover loss — to “capture the breadth of human activities” that contribute to warming. “The climate crisis is closely linked to excessive consumption of the wealthy lifestyle,” it states. “The most affluent countries are mainly responsible for the historical GHG emissions and generally have the greatest per capita emissions.”

In particular, the paper says we need to “promptly reduce the emissions of short-lived climate pollutants” like methane, protect and restore Earth’s ecosystems, eat mostly plant-based foods and reduce the global consumption of animal products. The paper says the world must “quickly implement massive energy efficiency and conservation practices.” And to control population growth, it calls for making family-planning services available to all people and removing barriers to full gender equity.

While the paper outlines policy targets, it will still be up to legislators, businesses and decision makers to act on the recommendations. Meanwhile, we continue to see high temperatures break global records.

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NVIDIA’s AI will help USPS handle packages 10 times faster

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For months, engineering teams from USPS and NVIDIA have been developing the AI models, which will help USPS read address labels more quickly and effectively. The system starts with high-performance servers powered by NVIDIA V100 Tensor Core GPUs and deep learning software, which train multiple algorithms. The trained models are then deployed to NVIDIA EGX edge computing systems at nearly 200 USPS facilities.

Delivery and testing of the system will begin this year, and the AI is expected to be fully operational in spring of 2020. While USPS will get an efficiency boost, this is a big win for NVIDIA too. It shows that AI processes are finding more practical uses.

USPS is experimenting with self-driving mail trucks as well. This spring, it signed a contract with San Diego self-driving truck company TuSimple for a two-week pilot. That involved the company’s trucks hauling USPS trailers on five round trips between the postal service’s Phoenix, Arizona and Dallas, Texas distribution centers. USPS is also developing a drone ‘airline’ to deliver medical samples in the US.

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Facebook is testing a facial recognition tool to verify your identity

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There’s also mention of an updated process for submitting your ID photo for account verification. It’s decidedly less sophisticated and simply involves snapping a photo of your ID on a flat, well-lit surface and submitting the picture.

We’ve asked Facebook for comment. Code like this isn’t necessarily a guarantee that a feature is coming — it sometimes represents a test for something that might never see the light of day.

If it does launch in earnest, though, it might draw controversy. While Facebook has been addressing issues, it’s still true that the company is still dealing with privacy concerns. A facial recognition-based ID system could reduce the chances of someone compromising your account, but it could also prompt fears (justified or not) that the company might misuse face data or risk a breach that let this data reach hackers.



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