Go read this New York Times investigation of the location tracking data of the Capitol rioters

You’re being tracked — around the web, sure, but also in real life: the apps on your smartphone are constantly feeding data into the digital advertising market, where it’s bought and sold by hedge funds, financial institutions, and marketers. A new report in The New York Times underscores the horrifying implications of the system, featuring location data mined from the rioters who sacked the US Capitol on January 6th, leaked by an anonymous source in the industry.

“This new data included a remarkable piece of information: a unique ID for each user that is tied to a smartphone,” they write. “This made it even easier to find people, since the supposedly anonymous ID could be matched with other databases containing the same ID, allowing us...

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A cappella group covers iPhone tones after nailing Windows sound effects

Image: Maytree

In January, South Korean a cappella group Maytree wowed us with their spot-on vocal interpretations of Windows sound effects, and on Friday, the group released a video of their next impressive showcase: interpretations of sounds from iPhones.

The video is a little over a minute long, and I recommend watching the whole thing, which you can do at the top of this post. They cover a lot of ringtones, including the familiar “Opening” ringtone, the classic “Marimba” ringtone, and even the twangy “Strum” ringtone. (I should warn you that they also re-create the blaring “Alarm” ringtone, so be prepared to experience that brief moment of terror.) They even tackle some system noises, including the sounds of text messages being sent and received...

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Microsoft suspends donations for politicians who attempted to overturn the 2020 election

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Microsoft has announced that it will suspend all donations for the upcoming 2022 election cycle for any members of Congress, state officials, and organizations that voted to object to the certification of electors in the 2020 election or supported attempting to overturn the election.

The company temporarily suspended all political contributions after the January 6th attack on the Capitol, with Microsoft taking the time to decide “whether to suspend further donations to individuals who voted against certification of the Electoral College.” Today’s announcement makes that decision a permanent one for the coming election cycle, but only for politicians who attempted to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. (Other...

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Three countries are due to reach Mars in the next two weeks

A fleet of spacecraft from three countries will reach Mars in February.

A small fleet of spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates, China, and the United States will reach Mars this month after launching from Earth last year. The march to the Red Planet marks a marathon of firsts: it’s the UAE’s first foray into deep space, China’s first independent attempt to land on Mars, and NASA’s first shot at deploying a Martian helicopter.

The rare convoy of Mars-bound spacecraft launched off Earth in a slim, roughly two-month window last summer when Earth and Mars lined up just right in their orbits around the Sun. This planetary alignment only happens once every two years, and three countries took advantage of it in 2020, just as outer space reemerged as a playground for scientific discovery and displays of national...

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How to install Apple’s watchOS 7 and iOS 14 betas so you can unlock your phone with your watch

Apple’s iOS 14.5 beta is out, and with it comes the ability to have your Apple Watch unlock your Face ID-protected phone if you happen to be wearing a mask. If you really want this feature right now, you’ll have to download the latest iOS and watchOS betas — something that does come with at least a little risk, as it’s unfinished software. There are bugs, and features might change between updates. There have been reports in the past of watches being bricked by betas (though I didn’t find any for this release).

With all that said, I’ve been using the betas since they came out, and I haven’t noticed anything acting particularly buggy. So if you’re willing to throw caution to the wind to get access to the new Apple Watch unlock feature,...

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Robinhood has stopped limiting GameStop shares

Illustrations by Alex Castro / The Verge

Robinhood has finally lifted all the restrictions on WallStreetBets-fueled stocks like GameStop and AMC, according to a report on Friday from Reuters. The company currently lists no limits on its support document entitled “Changes due to ongoing market volatility,” whereas last week, there were 50-plus companies included on the list.

Robinhood’s decision to restrict buying certain stocks caused a firestorm of controversy, leading to harsh condemnations from major public figures and politicians and the app being review-bombed on both Android and iOS. For its part, Robinhood said it wasn’t shutting trades down on a matter of principle or due to any shady deals with hedge funds, but because it simply didn’t have enough cash to meet its...

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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake delayed indefinitely

We already knew a remake for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was in the works, and it was supposed to come out next month. But if you are waiting to play this long-awaited remake, you will have to wait a little while longer as the game has been delayed indefinitely, Ubisoft announced on Twitter today.

Ubisoft Pune, the India-based studio tasked with remaking one of the most popular entries in the series, said the reason for delaying the game again was to ensure it receives extra development time that will allow the team to “deliver a remake that feels fresh while remaining faithful to the original.”

Another update from Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake dev team: pic.twitter.com/O6OOmYXhOD

— Prince of Persia (@princeofpersia) F...

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New Cyberpunk 2077 hotfix lets you safely install mods

Image: CD Projekt Red

On Tuesday, Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red cautioned against installing mods or custom save files due to a vulnerability that could be used to “execute code on PCs.” The studio has quickly turned around a fix, though, and you should now be able to safely install mods again thanks to the 1.12 hotfix released on Friday morning.

Hotfix 1.12 is now available on PC!

This update addresses the vulnerability that could be used as part of remote code execution (including save files):
- Fixed a buffer overrun issue.
- Removed/replaced non-ASLR DLLs. pic.twitter.com/LAkBfVpnXf

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) February 5, 2021

CD Projekt Red has released many hotfixes and updates to Cyberpunk 2077 since its December 10th release to clean...

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Democrats take first stab at reforming Section 230 after Capitol riots

Photo by Erin Schaff for The Verge

Senate Democrats unveiled a new bill Friday that could force tech giants like Facebook and Google to be held more accountable for harmful content that leads to real-world violence.

The SAFE TECH Act, introduced by Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), would overhaul Section 230 to the Communications Decency Act, a law that protects large tech platforms from liability over the content posted by their users. The Democrats’ bill would open new pathways for users to sue companies if content posted on their platforms threatens them personally with harassment, discrimination, or other forms of abuse.

The bill also prohibits Section 230 from applying to ads or other paid content on platforms, targeting a...

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Amazon has lost its bid to delay Alabama union vote

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has denied a set of motions from Amazon that sought to delay a union election at a company warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. Employees at the warehouse are set to begin voting on whether to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) on Monday, February 8th.

Amazon had filed two motions to delay the proceeding, including an effort to force an in-person vote, in spite of ongoing pandemic risks. Both motions were denied by the NLRB.

“Once again Amazon workers have won another fight in their effort to win a union voice,” said the RWDSU in a statement. “Today’s decision proves that it’s long past time that Amazon start respecting its own employees; and allow them to cast their votes...

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Vergecast: driving the Mustang Mach-E and this week’s Apple Car rumors

Photo by Sean O’Kane / The Verge

It turned into a car week here on The Vergecast . Transportation reporter Sean O’Kane and video director Becca Farsace joined Vergecast hosts Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn to talk about the latest news in the transportation section at The Verge: the Mustang Mach-E release, the rumors around Apple’s car endeavors, and what’s next for Tesla’s product line.

Both Sean and Becca were able to drive Ford’s new electric Mustang and detail their experiences on the show this week, including the trouble with charging, using the latest version of Ford’s Sync 4 interface, and whether it actually feels like driving a Mustang.

You can listen to the full discussion here or in your preferred podcast player.

Further reading:

• Scientists want to know if...

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Dril is making a video game

Dril, esteemed shitposter and published author, is developing “the next great Gaming Classic”: a 2D action-adventure called copgame about the “quest of a silent protagonist who stumbles upon the gift of immortality in a dangerous future where Top Influencers and corrupt hollywood guys maintain a cruel grip on society.” He posted the news today on Twitter, along with a link to his Patreon for funding.

Although “the corona virus pandemic has Fucked us all,” he writes, being stuck inside without a job gave him the opportunity to work on his game. “The gameplay places a strong emphasis on employing satisfying, responsive aerobatics to traverse a dozen or so worlds and find a shit load of treasures and secrets,” he writes.

Dril expects to...

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The Verge’s 18 favorite kitchen gadgets

Illustration by Grayson Blackmon and Alex Castro / The Verge

When you’re stuck at home because of pandemics, bad weather, or just because you don’t feel like going out, there’s nothing more satisfying than cooking something really fantastic. Even if you’re not an experienced or enthusiastic cook, sometimes it’s really satisfying to create a new and tasty dish for you, your friends, and / or family.

We asked the staff of The Verge what kinds of equipment, gadgets, and tools they use to make their kitchen adventures better tasting, easier, or just more fun. Here are some of the answers we got.

Immersion blender

Photo: Mueller Austria The Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick hand blender.

This is one of my favorite tools in the kitchen. It’s a hand-held blender that can be used to...

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FDA officials are off on a three-week sprint to review J&J COVID-19 vaccine data

Johnson & Johnson released data from its vaccine clinical trial last week.

Johnson & Johnson announced yesterday that it had officially asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine, kicking off a process that will send its one-shot immunization through a gauntlet of analysts and experts.

If all goes as expected and the agency agrees that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks, the United States could have a third shot available by the end of February. Experts hope that this vaccine — which only takes one dose and can be stored in the refrigerator — could accelerate the United States’ vaccination campaign.

Over the next few weeks, FDA officials will work at breakneck speeds to review the data submitted by Johnson & Johnson. Then, they’ll write up a report and submit it to...

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Nvidia is requiring laptop makers to be more transparent about RTX 30-series specs

Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge

Nvidia is now requiring, not just encouraging, companies selling laptops with its new RTX 30-series graphics chips to be more transparent about the kind of power people can expect. Nvidia tells The Verge these companies will have to disclose specific clock speed stats and total graphics power on online product pages — all of which tells people everything they need to know about a laptop’s graphics potential, for better or worse.

However, companies won’t have to mention that these chips are Max-Q variants because, according to an Nvidia spokesperson, “Max-Q is no longer part of the GPU name.” Rather, Max-Q is now solely used to communicate that a laptop with an RTX 30-series graphics chip ships with efficiency features like Whisper Mode...

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Baltimore’s spy planes will fly no more

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Baltimore, Maryland city officials have unanimously voted to end the city police department’s spy plane surveillance program, according to The Baltimore Sun (via Vice). Sorry, wait, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) had a spy plane program?

Yes, and it was called AIR, which stands for Aerial Investigation Research. The program was run by a company called Persistent Surveillance Systems (super friendly name), and it used airplanes and high-resolution cameras to capture what was happening in a 32-mile square mile area of the city. It also started out as a secret, with the police department paying for it not with city funds, which would be subject to public scrutiny, but with funding from two Texas billionaires.

The BPD admitted to...

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Razer’s Huntsman V2 Analog is the latest keyboard built to mimic a controller’s joysticks

Image: Razer

Razer’s latest mechanical keyboard, the $250 Huntsman V2 Analog, looks similar to the company’s previous models, but the biggest differences lie in the switches. This model’s optical switches support adjustable actuation (the amount of movement required to register a press), allowing for near-endless customization through Razer’s Synapse software.

Perhaps the most appealing feature of these keys is that, instead of being limited to the usual on / off nature of key actuation, they can be programmed with analog inputs to emulate a controller’s joysticks for smoother, variable levels of movement and control. You’ll be able to program the keyboard so that pressing a key down slightly will make you walk slowly in game, while pressing it...

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Razer built a Thunderbolt 4 dock stuffed with ports and Chroma RGB lights

The Thunderbolt 4 dock is littered with useful ports | Razer

If you’ve been hunting for a Thunderbolt 4 dock for your new laptop, Razer has a new option for you to consider, simply called the Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock. It’s loaded with ports, and of course, Chroma RGB lighting, too. Razer says it’s USB4 compliant, so it’ll be compatible with the next wave of fast peripherals and devices. It’s available for preorder through Razer for $329.99, which seems competitive for what it offers.

Taking a trip around this understated, matte black aluminum dock, its front hosts a fast UHS-II SD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a single Thunderbolt 4 port to plug straight into your computer. On the back is where you’ll find most of the ports, including a barrel jack for its 135W power source, three...

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Apple’s new betas let you try its Watch-based solution for masked iPhone unlocks

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

With the upcoming release of iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4, Apple will let you use your Apple Watch to authenticate and unlock your iPhone while you’re wearing a mask. But if you want to try the feature now, you can, as Apple has released public betas for both iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4.

Before these releases, people using iPhones with Face ID while wearing a mask could only unlock their phone by entering in their passcode manually, which can quickly become a hassle. But with the new updates installed, if your Apple Watch is unlocked (which it most likely is if it’s sitting on your wrist) and as long as it’s nearby, when you try to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask, you’ll feel a little buzz from your Apple Watch and your iPhone should...

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Ford is more than doubling its investment in electric and autonomous vehicles to $29 billion

Photo by Sean O’Kane / The Verge

Ford is increasing its investment in electric and autonomous vehicles to $29 billion, the company’s top executives said in an earnings call Thursday. The automaker had previously committed to spend $11.5 billion on electrifying its vehicle lineup through 2022. Now, Ford says it will spend double that amount, while extending the timeline to 2025.

The automaker will spend $7 billion on autonomous vehicles and $22 billion on electric ones. That $22 billion includes $7 billion that the company has already spent since 2016.

"The automaker will spend $7 billion on autonomous vehicles and $22 billion on electric ones"

Ford said a majority of vehicles it plans on producing will be battery- electric vehicles, but the company also has hybrid and...

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Pinterest had a giant fourth quarter thanks to a strong holiday season

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Like other online platforms, Pinterest reaped the benefits of an uptick in e-commerce advertising during the holiday season.

The image-sharing platform saw a 76 percent year-over-year jump in fourth quarter revenue, to $706 million, the company said Thursday. Pinterest had 459 global million monthly active users (MAUs) in the fourth quarter, up from 442 million in its third quarter.

Pinterest said in its letter to investors that its revenue growth was mostly driven by a robust holiday season and product improvements in advertising. It saw a six-fold increase in the number of businesses that used its shopping ads format during the fourth quarter.

“We welcomed over 100 million additional monthly active users to Pinterest in 2020, more than...

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Even you can afford Serena Williams’ gamer chair

There’s a great deal to gawk at in Serena Williams’ house, from the perfectly shined wood floors to furniture made of Elmo dolls. But there’s one item that feels out of place in house full of luxury: a cutesy pastel gamer chair. You can spot the oddly pedestrian item in a recent feature from Architectural Digest.

There’s no rule that a legendary athlete like Williams needs a bougie, high- end chair that costs more than most people’s rent. But given the other features of her house (see: hidden room and big clear piano), it’s surprising, and a little endearing, to spot something so... average. As Jezebel points out, Williams’ chair — dubiously named “Zeanus Pink Ergonomic Gaming Chair for Girl” because it’s pink, I guess — is shockingly...

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Diablo IV and Overwatch 2 aren’t launching this year

Blizzard has two huge sequels in the works, but it looks like neither will launch this year. During its most recent earnings call, Activision Blizzard revealed that it doesn’t expect Overwatch 2 or Diablo IV to be part of its 2021 financials, suggesting both will launch in 2022 or later.

Technically, this doesn’t represent a delay since neither game had a specific release date in place. Both __Overwatch 2 __ and Diablo IV were first announced at BlizzCon 2019, and the developer has been relatively quiet since then, particularly about the Overwatch sequel.

That said, while the games may be further off than many fans expected, we’ll still likely hear more about them soon. Blizzard will kick off a remote version of BlizzCon on February 19th, and...

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The latest GameStop stock dip looks like the end of the line

When GameStop’s stock price fell by over 50 percent on Tuesday, closing at $90, we weren’t sure if it was going to pick back up or keep going down. It seems we now have our answer, as GME is down another 41 percent, closing today at just $53.50.

That's less than the stock sold for the week before it took off on a wild rollercoaster ride induced by Reddit retail investors and an unprecedented social media frenzy. So it seems like we’re not so much in a dip, but on the long, slow ride back to the beginning.

When I wrote about GameStop’s stock dip on Tuesday, the stock was down 81 percent from its peak of $483. Now, it’s down 89 percent from that peak. There was always the chance of a rally (and I guess, technically, there still is), but...

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Google union files labor board charge against contract company

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Alphabet Workers Union (AWU) has filed an unfair labor charge against Adecco, a subcontracting firm that provides data center services to Google. The union says managers tried to stop Google contractors from discussing pay, which is illegal. Shannon Wait, a union member and contractor, was suspended after posting about working conditions on Facebook. The news was first reported by Bloomberg.

The charge is the first legal action the Alphabet Workers Union has taken to protect employees. Since the union went public in early January, it’s called on YouTube to ban Donald Trump and voiced concern with the treatment of AI ethics researcher Margaret Mitchell, but both of these actions took the form of open letters and had no legal force.

N...

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Niagara is a minimalist Android launcher I wish I’d had on my bus commute

Niagara Launcher puts your apps within easy striking distance of your thumb. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

After a couple years of beta testing, Niagara Launcher is now available for download from the Google Play Store. It’s designed to replace the default Android app drawer and home screen grid with a layout that’s easier to access with one hand.

You pick your favorite apps to pin on the home screen, and the rest are accessible under an alphabetized list on the right side of the screen in easy striking distance of your thumb. It’s quick and very responsive; you can either tap on the part of the alphabet you’re aiming for or swipe up and down to scroll your list of apps.

Niagara also allows you to take quick action from the home screen by swiping across any app to bring up a list of options, like setting a new timer in the clock app or...

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Google is weighing an anti-tracking feature for Android, following Apple’s lead

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Google is considering developing an Android alternative to Apple’s upcoming App Tracking Transparency, a new planned opt-in requirement the iPhone maker will impose on developers that demands they ask for permission to track iOS users across apps and websites. The news, first reported on Thursday by Bloomberg, underscores the increasing pressure on large tech companies, many spurred on by Apple, to take more proactive measures to better protect user privacy.

Google won’t say whether it is indeed working on an anti-tracking privacy measure for Android. But in a statement, a Google spokesperson tells The Verge , “We’re always looking for ways to work with developers to raise the bar on privacy while enabling a healthy, ad-supported app...

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Smartmatic sues Fox News, Rudy Giuliani, and others over election disinformation campaign

Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

Voting tech company Smartmatic has sued Fox News, former Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, and TV host Lou Dobbs for spreading a conspiracy theory about the 2020 US presidential election. The New York state court lawsuit says Fox and others deliberately made Smartmatic the “villain” in a false story about fraudulent voting. Since then, it says, employees have received death threats, and clients have balked at the company’s tarnished reputation. It’s demanding $2.7 billion in damages and a full retraction of all false statements.

Smartmatic figured heavily in a sprawling and baseless claim that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election. The conspiracy alleged that Smartmatic secretly owned its competitor Dominion...

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Genetic testing firm 23andMe is going public via a SPAC backed by Richard Branson

Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Home DNA-testing company 23andMe will go public via special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, the companies announced Thursday.

“We have always believed that healthcare needs to be driven by the consumer, and we have a huge opportunity to help personalize the entire experience at scale, allowing individuals to be more proactive about their health and wellness,” 23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki said in a statement.

The deal values the company at $3.5 billion, and current shareholders will own 81 percent of the company. Wojcicki and Branson each invested $25 million themselves as part of the $250 million fund formed to take the company public. The deal is expected to close in the...

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Chrome is blocking popular extension The Great Suspender, but there’s a way to recover your tabs

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Google has apparently blocked The Great Suspender extension from Chrome, with existing users now receiving a message that it has “been disabled because it contains malware.” It’s also been removed from the Chrome Web Store, with any links to it now leading to a 404 page. Some are worried about losing their tabs, but Reddit users have found a way to recover them (via XDA-Developers’ Mishaal Rahman).

The Great Suspender was a hugely useful extension — minus the malware, at least — for keeping your browser running smoothly. The tool would automatically shut down tabs that you hadn’t looked at for a while, replacing them with a blank gray screen. Return to the tab, and you could click to reload back to where you were. Given Chrome’s...

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