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Apple offers three-month TV+ trial to ‘Emmy’ magazine subscribers

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The standard free trial of the service offered to regular customers is seven days, and Apple will also offer a whole year’s free subscription to customers who purchase a new device such as an iPhone, iPad or Apple TV. Emmy subscribers can get three months’ of service, according to MacRumors, offered in the form of a voucher attached to a full-page ad.

Apple TV+ is launching into a crowded market and will need to compete with services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and also Disney’s upcoming streaming service, Disney+. To attract an audience of entertainment enthusiasts to try out its service, Apple will produce a range of original shows and movies and is working with stars like Jason Momoa and Jennifer Aniston.

Priced an affordable $4.99 per month, Apple hopes to bring new users to its service by undercutting its rivals. With extended free trial offers, it may be able to make TV+ hard to ignore when it launches.

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Porsche unveils the mid-range Taycan 4S EV

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Porsche said that the 4S will come in two battery sizes, 79.2 and 93.4 kWh, and it will deliver more subdued performance and slightly better range than the other Taycan variants. Still, it will thump most ICE vehicles by hitting 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, while hitting a top speed of 155 mph.

Other than the “Turbo” badge, the 4S looks exactly like the Taycan Turbo, and shares most components like brakes and the 800 volt charging system with the other models. Porsche unveiled the EV in a color called “frozen blue metallic” that looks a lot like what we used to call “powder blue.”

The Taycan 4S is now up for order at $103,800 for the Taycan 4S and $110,380 with the 93.4 kWh “Performance Battery Plus.” That’s a lot more reasonable than the $150,900 and $185,000 prices of the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S, respectively. Both models will arrive to US dealerships in spring of 2020. Next up, we’ll likely see the Model X-fighting Taycan Cross Turismo, which Porsche promised to unveil by the end of 2019.



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NVIDIA will remaster more games with RTX ray tracing

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Lightspeed worked on the Quake II RTX remaster and was also responsible for bringing numerous games to Android through NVIDIA’s Shield devices, including Half-Life 2 and even a China-only port of Super Mario Galaxy.

It’s not surprising that NVIDIA would plan more frequent ray tracing updates. The company can use them to sell more GeForce RTX graphics cards without waiting for third-party developers to put in all the work. It’s just a matter of which games make the most sense. Quake II was a prime candidate given that its lighting effects were a selling point when the game was new, and NVIDIA will likely be looking for similar technology showcases that could stand some modern-day polish.

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Safari in iOS sends some Safe Browsing data to Tencent

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The concern, as you might imagine, revolves over what Tencent might do with that data. Both Google and Tencent may log IP addresses in order for their anti-phishing systems to work, but Tencent’s frequent cooperation with the Chinese government raises concerns that its data could be used for surveillance or other nefarious ends. Johns Hopkins University professor Matthew Green noted that a malicious provider could theoretically use Google’s Safe Browsing approach to de-anonymize someone by linking site requests. So long as Tencent’s method is similar, it could have a way to identify users if the Chinese government pressures it to reveal dissidents.

We’ve asked Apple for comment.

You can turn Fraudulent Website Warning off (in Settings > Safari) as long as you’re willing to accept less vigilance against sketchy pages. The issue is really that Apple activates the feature by default without alerting users, and that it doesn’t specify just where Tencent operates. It doesn’t help that users are worried about China’s influence on tech, either. Between Apple’s decision to remove a Hong Kong protest app and Blizzard’s ban on a pro-Hong Kong Hearthstone player, it may be hard for Apple and Tencent to escape scrutiny regardless of their behavior.

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US says digital assets are covered by money laundering and disclosure laws

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US regulators issued a blunt warning to cryptocurrency holders who think they're not beholden to the usual rules. The Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network have put…

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San Francisco’s proposed office would prevent ‘reckless’ tech rollouts

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It would likewise keep a watch out for the impact of automation on workers. Matching legislation, meanwhile, would let the office recommend fines for those companies that ignore the permit process.

The public will have 30 days to comment on the measure establishing the Office before it goes to a Board of Supervisors vote. You wouldn’t have to wait long to see the Office in action if it passes — it could open as soon as January.

This might not thrill tech startups who want to put their technology in the field quickly. They might not back away, but they may take longer to deploy their offerings. Not that residents will necessarily complain. Tech giants have a long history of introducing products and features without considering the social impact. This would at least put the brakes on those introductions that would hurt San Franciscans in a tangible way.

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Porsche’s Macan EV will fully replace its gas counterpart in a few years

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The company’s SUV director Julian Baumann, meanwhile, offered some clues as to the electric Macan’s design. It’ll be based on an evolution of the Taycan’s platform and should be considerably more aerodynamic than its gas version, in part thanks to a lower nose (it doesn’t need a bulky engine, after all). It’ll still maintain the “everyday usability,” Baumann said, so you don’t have to worry about the Macan receiving a sleeker-but-less-functional redesign akin to the Cayenne Coupe.

Be careful before you budget for a Macan in your driveway, though. Like the Taycan, Porsche is expected to start by selling the highest-end versions (the Turbo and Turbo S — yes, it’s keeping the “turbo” label) and gradually filtering down to mainstream models. The Turbo S could offer up to 700 brake horsepower (about 710HP), so those who can afford the priciest versions may smoke nearly every other SUV on the road.

The move to EVs could happen sooner than you think. Meschke predicted that 30 to 40 percent of Porsches will be electric within five years, or by 2024. That’s easier for Porsche than other brands when it has a relatively small, niche lineup compared to its parent company VW. All the same, it’s quite likely that Porsche as you know it will change dramatically. While its gas cars will still exist, they may be primarily limited to coupes and convertibles instead of people carriers like the Macan.

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Crowdfunded case will give your Windows PC that Mac Pro look

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It’s on the inside where you’ll see the more noticeable changes. The case will support motherboards ranging from mini ATX through to extended ATX, and it can accept video cards up to 380mm (15 inches) long — you can stuff a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti inside if this will serve as a gaming rig. It also promises ample room for air or liquid cooling (up to a 360mm watercooling radiator), and the combination of five SSD trays with three hard drive trays means you won’t be hurting for storage space.

The Dune Pro should reach Kickstarter on October 21st, with pricing and expected ship times expected by then. The looming question, of course, is whether or not it’ll survive legal scrutiny. Dune already has another Apple-inspired enclosure in the works, the $199 Dune Case, but it’s based on the 2013 Mac Pro and takes more creative liberties. The Dune Pro is a more… literal translation. Dune does say the Dice Y panel is “patent pending,” though, so it appears to be at least somewhat aware of the potential for a court battle.

There’s also the question of whether or not it’ll arrive in a timely fashion, assuming the project goes according to plan. The earlier Dune Case is still characterized as a “beta” and isn’t available for pre-order. You may be waiting a while to pull off that ultimate Hackintosh setup.

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Original ‘Fortnite’ map vanishes in a cataclysmic event

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The leaks were on the mark — Fortnite‘s original map is no more, at least as far as anyone can tell. The battle royale title’s hyped-up The End event saw a missile launch into the sky and trigger a massive amount of rifts, culminating in a meteor strike that appeared to wipe out the map and suck players into… something. It’s not clear what follows next (it doesn’t help that Fortnite and Twitch both melted down during the event), although DrLupo’s official stream ended with a mysterious eclipse or black hole glowing in the distance. Those who stayed in Fortnite could play a mini game.

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Andy Rubin quietly left the venture company he founded

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The terms may be familiar, though. Rubin received a $9 million payout, according to the documents, and both leadership as well as some investors were aware of the terms. When Rubin exited Google over claims of sexual misconduct, he reportedly received a $90 million payout and kept the circumstances of his departure private.

None of the companies involved have commented on the report. Rubin has steadfastly denied the misconduct allegations, which included claims he pressured a subordinate to perform oral sex when she tried to leave a relationship with him. Google’s response to his behavior (and that of other execs) prompted large-scale employee protests and sexual harassment policy reforms.

An exit could have implications for Essential, Rubin’s phone startup. Playground is closely connected to Essential, having invested a total of $330 million in the company and even sharing the same address. Now, the venture firm isn’t under much obligation to continue investing in Essential. That doesn’t mean it won’t, but Essential may have to work harder to earn funding in the future.

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