You'll have to wait a while longer for the Matter standard to usher in a (hopefully) more harmonious smart home. The Connectivity Standards Alliance has delayed Matter's rollout from late 2021 to the first half of 2022. Members need more time to ensure the development kit and other tools can match the "expectations of the market," according to the CSA.
A rough version of the Matter specification should be ready by the end of 2021, but the kit, first device certifications and a formal certification program will take a while longer. The longer timelines for those elements should not only boost quality, but ensure they're "deployable at scale," the CSA added.
The delay might be important. Matter is designed to not only ensure more consistent and reliable smart home networking, but to speed up development through open source tools. Amazon, Apple, Google and many smart home device makers (such as Nanoleaf and Signify) are already committed to Matter. If the standard is going to see widespread adoption, it needs to work well from the start — the extra time could help achieve that goal.
After a brief hiatus, ICYMI is back to give you a helpful summary of all the gadgets and gizmos we’ve put to the test recently. This week, Billy Steele lent his ears to Samsung’s new entry level Galaxy Buds 2 to check out their new design and features. A little while ago, Terrence O’Brien created beautiful music on the Novation Circuit Rhythm sampler and struggled with the controls on the SkulptSynth SE. Devindra Hardawar also experienced immersive VR courtesy of two professional headsets from HTC. Lastly, Daniel Cooper checked out Framework’s repairable laptop to see just how easy it is to customize and fix.
Affordable wireless earbuds often come with compromises, but Billy Steele feels that Samsung has found a winning combination with the Galaxy Buds 2. Redesigned to include wireless charging and ambient sound at an entry-level price of $150, the Galaxy Buds 2 are 15 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than the Galaxy Buds+, which makes them comfortable to wear. Billy says that the sound quality, though improved, doesn’t have quite the same clarity and depth, but the dynamic range is comparable. Low-end tones lack punch and tracks that should sound big and bombastic are a bit flat and subdued.
That being said, he was still impressed by the inclusion of active noise-cancellation, which Samsung says can reduce 98 percent of background noise. Billy could still hear a bit of his box fans and white noise machine during testing, but the feature was definitely better than relying solely on passive isolation. He felt that Samsung delivered on the call quality improvements as well, via a combination of machine learning, three microphones per bud and a voice-pickup unit to maximize clarity. He managed to get around seven hours of battery life from “regular” use (which included some ANC), but was disappointed that the Buds 2 only have an IPX2 rating, which could produce issues during sweaty workout.
Devindra Hardawar liked HTC’s Vive Pro 2 VR headset so much he called it “an enthusiast’s dream.” However, he’s quick to point out that its $1,399 price tag makes it a tough sell. The Vive Pro 2 offers a 5K 120Hz display with 2,448 x 2,448 pixels per eye. Additionally, the LCDs have RGB sub-pixels that help to produce the sharpest desktop VR experience that he’s ever seen. It also has solid ergonomics — Devindra says the headset is comfortable to wear for extended sessions due to its weight distribution and its plush cushioning on the front and back.
But even if you’re prepared to shell out for the headset, Devindra admits it comes with some drawbacks. First, the controllers are the same archaic, oversized ones that came with the original 2016 Vive. He also felt that the on-ear headphones produced some heat during use, as did the displays. But the biggest issue is the graphics power necessary to experience the device in its full glory: Devindra says you can probably forget about getting anything truly usable out of the system’s minimum requirements, which means you’ll need a lot of desktop power to get the most out of the Vive Pro 2. Despite those hurdles, he’s quick to call the Vive Pro 2 the highest quality desktop VR available right now.
Framework’s laptop isn’t eye-catching or showy. The design of the 13-inch notebook resembles an older MacBook, but with one noteworthy difference: it’s intended to be modded and repaired via the included Torx T5 screwdriver and the expansion cards. While testing how easy it was to replace a keyboard, Daniel Cooper said he felt fully confident that he could make multiple repairs to the machine — something that can’t be said for most consumer laptops.
In addition to being easy to upgrade and fix, the Framework features a solid spec list: a 13.5-inch, 3:2, 2,256 x 1,504 display with a backlight capable of 400 nits; a variety of inputs via the expansion cards as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack; a chiclet keyboard with 1.5mm of travel and an impressive 1080p, 60fps webcam with an 80-degree field of view. During testing, the $1,399 Performance model handled undemanding games well and scored an average 4927 in PC Mark 10. The only thing Daniel didn’t enjoy about the machine were the side-firing speakers, which produced weak, tinny sound.
Much like the Vive Pro 2, HTC’s Vive Focus 3 isn’t intended for the casual consumer. The $1,300 price point alone puts it on another level, likely best for business users who should be pleased with the superior hardware, ergonomics and build quality. Devindra Hardawar says the system has just about everything you would want in a modern headset: a sturdy yet light build with a design that’s comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and even has support for large glasses.
With a 5K resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate and a 120-degree field of view, the Vive Pro 2 delivered one of the most immersive standalone VR experiences that Devindra has seen. He had a realistic sense of walking through meadows and beaches in a nature trek VR program, and said he was consistently impressed by how great everything looked. However, he was disappointed by the limited software library that required him to remove the headset to purchase apps and games. After his time with the Focus 3, Devindra heartily felt that it is an ideal set up for companies who can take advantage of the business-focused apps and the hardware quality without cringing at the price point.
As a follow up to the original Skulpt, the SkulptSynth SE makes some upgrades to the build quality but comes in more affordable at $199. Terrence O’Brien spent some time with the instrument and determined that it’s still as powerful, compelling and confusing as the previous version. The SE features a total of 32 oscillators stacked in four voices which produces a thick tone that Terrence called inviting. He says the SE shines when the stacked oscillators are given a chance to really flesh out the sound. He also approved of the various modulation options, which give the device a surprising amount of depth.
Despite the improvements in the hardware (specifically firmer knobs), Terrence said that the SE still felt pretty wobbly and cheap overall. And he was still frustrated by the cramped layout and the navigation of the controls — he recommends keeping the included cheat sheet at hand to help with the latter. Additionally, the touch keyboard wasn’t always super responsive. However, using the app solved a lot of his complaints and he was excited about the MPE support, which is unheard of at the SE’s price point.
Devindra Hardawar is quick to acknowledge that the new NUC 11 Extreme, aka “Beast Canyon,” is pretty sizable. However, he feels the trade-off is worth it because the design provides support for a full GPU — something that should attract gamers to the unit. It’s also a bit cheaper than the last model and more flexible due to the fast 11th-gen Intel CPU (which can be purchased separately as an upgrade for NUC 9 Extreme owners).
This NUC was clearly designed with gamers in mind with an LED skull on the black metal case, mesh air vents and three large fans on top. Devindra was pleased to report that the case cooling on the device was excellent: the GPU never went above 75 celsius and the CPU stayed under 80 celsius. Additionally, because of the thoughtful modular design, he had no trouble fitting in large GPUs like NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 Ti or the Radeon RX 6800. The system also performed well in benchmark testing: in PCMark 10 it outpaced every Windows PC we’ve seen this year. Still, the $1,150 to $1,350 price tag for the NUC 11 is high, especially because owners will need to pay up for additional hardware and software.
Though physically similar to its cousin the Circuit Tracks, Novation’s Circuit Rhythm uses the popular screen-free workflow of the Circuit with the full-featured sampler and performance effects of the SP-303 to produce a device that is ideal for lo-fi hip hop and house music. Terrence O’Brien particularly enjoyed this simple workflow as well as the sampling and slicing features that are fun to use.
The Circuit Rhythm has 32 RGB, velocity-sensitive pads, 28 buttons for switching views and tracks, eight endless encoders and two knobs for volume and master filter. Terrence says those eight monophonic sampler tracks are the core of the Rhythm, and he was also impressed with its portability and 3.5-hour battery life. Though he would like to see some additional features like more fine-grained temp control, overall he deemed the Circuit Rhythm a strong contender for best entry-level sampler, particularly for anyone interested in hip hop or house music creation.
Reddit is about to make video a cornerstone of its mobile app. The company told TechCrunch that it's rolling out a TikTok-like video feed to iOS app users through a dedicated section. Tap the button and you'll see a swipeable video collection from both the subreddits you've subscribed to as well as related communities. As usual, you can upvote, downvote, comment on or gift awards.
A basic version of this experience was available before, but only if you tapped on a video — and the first videos you'd see would come from the same subreddit. The new tab is meant to "bring community through video," according to a Reddit spokesperson, and that means creating a "unified" experience that matches what you expect from app-based video players.
Reddit didn't say when all iOS users could expect the feed, or when you'd see an Android version. The vido section first reached a handful of iOS devices sometime in July.
This isn't a shocking move. Reddit started toying with livestreams in 2019, and bought TikTok rival Dubsmash in December 2020. While that company's code isn't being used for the feed (that will come with future products), the acquisition signalled Reddit's intent — it wants to keep its social network relevant in an era when video is all-important. You might not see video take center stage, but it's now considerably more than a nice-to-have feature.
A few days ago, Twitter rolled out a number of design updates meant to make the website more accessible. It introduced a new proprietary typeface and increased contrast to make buttons and other visual elements like images stand out. Just because those changes make the website more accessible for some people, though, doesn't mean they work for everyone. As TechCrunch and CNET note, complaints started pouring in after the update went out, with people reporting eye strain and headaches caused by the changes. Now, the social network has announced that it's adjusting its buttons' contrast levels to make them easier on the eyes.
We've identified issues with the Chirp font for Windows users and are actively working on a fix. Thanks for your patience and please let us know if you have additional feedback.
Twitter said it made the adjustment after people sent in complaints that the "new look is uncomfortable for people with sensory sensitivities." The company's accessibility account started asking for feedback a day after the updates went out, promising to track it all. Sounds like it's stayed true to its word, though the Chirp font remains even if it's supposedly giving people headaches. Twitter also hasn't changed the new colors for the Follow button, which has caused quite the confusion: The button is now filled in with black for accounts you've yet to follow and shows up with a white background for accounts you're already following. It used to be the other way around.
The company may release more fixes to its accessibility update in the future, though. It told TechCrunch that "feedback was sought from people with disabilities throughout the process, from the beginning." However, it knows that "people have different preferences and needs and [it] will continue to track feedback and refine the experience." Twitter added: "We realize we could get more feedback in the future and we'll work to do that."
Deep in the heart of Appalachia, modern science and America's bucolic past meet at a unique crossroad of scientific discovery and luddite lifestyles. The Quiet Zone, by journalist Stephen Kurczy, is the story of a sleepy small town that hosts the Green Bank radio telescope. But the presence of this installation comes at a price: due to the telescope's exceeding sensitivity, virtually every device and appliance that emits radio waves, Wi-Fi signals, or microwave radiation is banned for square miles around. That means that Green Bank, West Virginia has about as much tech today as it did in the 1950's (maybe even a little less) — and some people very much like it that way. But not everybody. In the excerpt below, Pocahontas County attorney, Robert Martin, recounts the challenges of attempting to modernize the region without loosing a horde of gentrifiers upon it as well.
For every electrosensitive who wanted radio quiet, there were probably one hundred residents who wanted WiFi and cell service, and they elected the county’s officials. In early 2018, the Pocahontas County Commission passed a resolution in support of cell service throughout the county, a challenge to the very notion of a Quiet Zone. The commission assigned its attorney, Robert Martin, to contact all major telecommunications providers asking them to invest in Pocahontas.
“I’m doing my level best to get another company in here,” Martin told me in the spring of 2018. He’d invited me to his house to discuss the new cell service ordinance, and we were swigging Bud Lights at his kitchen table.
“How many cell companies have you written to?” I asked.
“All of them,” he said. “I promised the companies that we’ll get everybody in the damn county to sign up with them. I’ll sign up first! . . . I wrote a letter to everybody and said, ‘We have shit for cellphone service here, we want you to come in here, we’ll partner with you, we’ll help you however we can. Come in here.’”
At our feet were two boxers and a basset hound. In the adjacent mudroom was a 250-pound Vietnamese potbellied pig named Pig, who was snoring. Pig knew how to open the front door and pull a blanket over himself. “I’m the true image of West Virginia, aren’t I?” Martin laughed. “I got a pig living in the house.” Despite his home literally being a pigsty, Martin was always the best dressed at county meetings, usually wearing tight designer jeans, leather boots, and a crisp dress shirt, top buttons undone and a few chest hairs curling out. A blustery guy, Martin was once jailed in Marlinton for contempt of court for arguing with a circuit judge. He had a history of getting into fights at West Virginia University football games. For years, he’d also operated a hotel in Belize, paying “tens of thousands of dollars in bribes” and putting the payments on his tax returns so the U.S. government could see the corruption he was dealing with (even if he was admitting to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act). Martin came across as a dogged lawyer who knew how to get things done. And he wanted cell service.
“You seen that commercial saying Verizon has more coverage than anyone else?” he asked me. “Pause and look at it real closely, and you’ll see right where Pocahontas County is because almost the entire Eastern Seaboard is all yellow [signifying cell coverage] and right there in southeastern West Virginia there’s this hunk about this big—it’s Poca-fucking-hontas County. I swear to God. Right fucking there we are on Verizon’s commercials.”
Martin knew well what connectivity was like outside the Quiet Zone. He had earned his law degree from West Virginia University in 1979, married a girl from Marlinton, and started his career in Pocahontas County before becoming a well-heeled insurance defense lawyer in Charleston. He’d gotten his first cellphone in 1986—it was the size of a beer bottle, with a three-foot-long antenna, and it went to bed with him every night. That attachment ended in 2012 when he moved back to Pocahontas, where he only carried an iPhone so he could listen to music in his truck. I asked if he was concerned about the impact of cell service on the electrosensitives.
“Wackos that are afraid of their brains getting fried and all that?” he responded. “Yeah, I know about them.”
“They see Green Bank as a haven,” I said.
“So? So?” He said he wasn’t going to let the electrosensitives keep Pocahontas “behind the curve” for cell service.
“But I’m here because you’re behind the curve,” I said. “That makes this place unique.”
“You think we want to deal with stone knives and axes for the rest of our existence? You’re like these fucking people who move in here and don’t want it to change, that it? We have people who have moved here in the last five to ten years and they don’t want anything to change. They’ve ‘discovered’ Pocahontas County and now nothing can change. Well, fuck, that ain’t the way of the world. We have limitations because of the observatory, because of our topography, because of our insignificant population. But we need to do what we can as government entities to make things available to people.”
“Of course,” Martin added, the cell service would have to comply with the Quiet Zone.
“We believe in the observatory, we don’t want to fuck with them,” he said. “Right now, as you and I are sitting here bullshitting, they’re up there looking for fucking E.T. And I want to give them every opportunity to do that. But I’ve got emergency services I’ve got to render in this county.”
In addition to trying to bring in cell service, Martin was assisting the county’s emergency services director, Michael O’Brien, to improve communications. The 911 center in Marlinton had difficulty broadcasting any emergency radio communications toward the northern end of the county, where Green Bank was located. O’Brien found a partial solution by installing an internet-controlled radio system just north of Green Bank in the town of Durbin, but it had minimal range and failed altogether when internet or electricity went down. Pocahontas was also one of the only counties in the state unable to adopt a “smart radio system” that integrated radios with smartphones.
On the off chance that someone made an emergency 911 call from one of the county’s few pockets of limited cell service, authorities had an especially hard time pinpointing the person’s location. “We had a dispatcher spend two and a half hours on the phone one night with a lady that was trapped in her car in a creek,” O’Brien told me. “She didn’t know where she was or how she got there. We were just keeping her calm while we sent the department to look in all the areas that had cell service.”
ACCORDING TO DELOIT TE, a 10 percent increase in mobile penetration increases total factor productivity—a key component of economic growth modeling—by 4.2 percentage points over the long run. In Pocahontas, businesspeople like Kenneth “Buster” Varner felt they needed all the help they could get to keep the county’s economy puttering along, which meant bringing in cell service.
I first met Varner in early 2017, while eating breakfast at the counter at Station 2. A heavy, jowly man, he had leaned over and asked, “Do you think the gravy is too salty?” As we shoveled down heaping plates of biscuits and sausage gravy, he told me about his various businesses. Aside from owning Station 2, he operated a half dozen enterprises involved in logging, excavation, towing, septic pumping, and auto repair. He was also a fire chief. I told him that I imagined a lot of headaches trying to manage all those things within the restrictions of the Quiet Zone.
“You have to realize that we never had cellphone service when everybody else had it, so it wasn’t anything to us,” Varner said. “It’d be more convenient, of course, if it was so you could use your cellphones all the time. But it’s a unique place to live where you don’t have them, and we take a little pride in that.” He noted how the observatory provided jobs and shared its resources, such as lending one of its diesel generators to a funeral home during a recent power outage. “That to me means a lot,” Varner said. “And having the largest telescope in the world out your back door, that’s a pretty neat conversation piece.”
“People can get ahold of me the old-fashioned way,” he added. “Call me on the landline or come look for me.”
Spending more time with Varner, however, I realized that he was hardly a Luddite. When we met again months later in his cluttered office, I found it hard to keep his attention. He kept glancing down at his iPhone to check texts and alerts he was receiving over WiFi. When he took a call, I was left to stare at a poster of a busty woman in a red bikini and firefighter helmet. When he finally put down the iPhone, I told him I was confused. Hadn’t he said he took pride in not using a cellphone?
“I thought it was rude to have a smartphone,” Varner said of his “old” perspective, apparently from just a few months earlier. “I do a lot of business on that phone, more than I ever thought in my wildest dreams that I would do.” I asked if he could ever go back to living without one. “Wouldn’t want to. It’s so handy.”
Varner had an AT&T data plan. He used Siri. He wished all his employees and volunteer firefighters could always be connected through smartphones. Instead, because of the Quiet Zone, he’d invested more than $30,000 in a specially approved radio repeater system to allow his workers to communicate via low-band radio. “I don’t want the observatory to close and for people to lose their jobs,” he said, “but it’d be more convenient for everybody.”
We all could use a little help keeping our homes clean and a robot vacuum can do just that. Some robots, like iRobot's Roomba i7+ and S9+, go one step further by automatically emptying their bins into their clean bases after each job — so you rarely have to take out its trash. These gadgets come with high price tags, but you can grab either of them for less right now at Wellbots. The online retailer has the Roomba i7+ for $699, or $100 off, and the S9+ for $949, or $150 off, when you use the codes 100ENGADGET and 150ENGADGET, respectively, at checkout. While not all-time-low prices, they're the best prices we've seen since April.
The Roomba i7+ is one of the more expensive robot vacuums you can get from iRobot and we gave it a score of 87 when it first came out. Not only did it do a good job cleaning both carpeted and hard floors, but it was also quieter than other robot vacuums we've tested. The i7+ also has smart mapping technology so it can keep track of the rooms in your home to clean more efficiently. And like other robo-vacs, you can control the i7+ from your smartphone, plus set cleaning schedules, using the iRobot mobile app.
But the biggest thing that sets the i7+ apart from others is its clean base. After each job, the robot will automatically empty its bin into the clean base so you don't have to worry about it. The clean base itself can hold about 30 jobs worth of dirt, so it won't require constant attention either. The only downside are iRobot's proprietary bags that you'll have to buy for it.
Overall, the i7+ is a good pick if you want a robot vacuum that requires little attention on a daily basis. The Roomba S9+ has all of the same features plus a more corner-friendly design and "power-lift suction," which should help it do a better job deep-cleaning carpets and capturing pet hair.
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If you want to see yourself on screen with Hugh Jackman, this is your chance. The promo for Warner Bros. upcoming Reminiscence movie uses deepfake technology to turn a photo of your face — or anybody's face, really — into a short video sequence with the star. According to Protocol, a media startup called D-ID created the promo for the film. D-ID reportedly started out wanting to develop technology that can protect consumers against facial recognition, but then it realized that its tech could also be used to optimize deepfakes.
For this particular project, the firm created a website for the experience, where you'll be asked for your name and for a photo. You can upload the photo of anybody you want, and the experience will then conjure up an animation for the face in it. The animation isn't perfect by any means, and the face could look distorted at times, but it's still not bad, considering the technology created it from a single picture.
Reminiscence is a sci-fi thriller about Nick Bannister, a "private investigator of the mind." The idea behind the promo is that you're a client looking into your memories to solve a case. The movie will be shown in theatres on August 20th, but like most new releases these days, it will also be available for streaming on HBO Max.
Apple, which basked in praise from many corners after refusing to cooperate with federal authorities following the 2016 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, is now aggressively walking back its plans to unilaterally scan customers' phones for child porn on behalf of governments following a swift and furious backlash from privacy advocates. Per a Friday afternoon report from Reuters, the tech company clarified that it will only utilize its proposed system to look for images that have already "been flagged by clearinghouses in multiple countries."
An initial threshold of 30 images would have to be discovered before the automated scanning system alerted Apple that an actual human should review the issue, though the company explained that the figure would eventually be reduced in the future. Apple also made assurances that its list of image identifiers is universal and will remain constant regardless of the device it is being applied to.
As Apple explained during Friday's media call, the company's technical protection is one that creates an encrypted on-device CSAM hash database derived from at least two or more organizations, each operating under the auspices of separate national governments.
The company, during one of many media-assuaging follow-up meetings this week, declined to comment on whether the negative blowback has had any effect on its position, though it did admit that there was "confusion" surrounding its earlier announcements. Apple did assert that the program was "still in development" and that mulligans like this were a normal part of the production process.
The practice of scanning user accounts for contraband images is old hat for the tech industry, however Apple's plan to install the monitoring software directly on the hardware itself is an unprecedented move — one that has privacy advocates up in arms. Their concern is that governments could demand Apple scour its users' devices for other private, political, religious or personal information once the basic capabilities are are in place.
Sonos has won an early victory in its ongoing legal battle with Google. On Friday, a federal judge with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) made a preliminary decision related to a complaint the company had filed against Google in early 2020, alleging the search giant had infringed on five of its patents. Validating all five claims, the judge said Google should not be allowed to import devices that violate the intellectual property of Sonos.
"Today the ALJ has found all five of Sonos' asserted patents to be valid and that Google infringes on all five patents. We are pleased the ITC has confirmed Google's blatant infringement of Sonos' patented inventions," said Sonos chief legal officer Eddie Lazarus. "This decision re-affirms the strength and breadth of our portfolio, marking a promising milestone in our long-term pursuit to defend our innovation against misappropriation by Big Tech monopolies."
As The New York Times notes, the judge's decision isn't final. The entire ITC body has to make a final ruling before it mandates any remedial measures. With a meeting scheduled for December 13th, that won't happen for another few months.
"We do not use Sonos' technology, and we compete on the quality of our products and the merits of our ideas," said Google spokesperson José Castañeda. "We disagree with this preliminary ruling and will continue to make our case in the upcoming review process."
Sonos first sued Google in early 2020. It accused the company of copying some of the technologies most critical to its speakers, including its Trueplay tuning tool. In patent disputes, companies typically use simultaneous ITC complaints to force the hand of their opponent since the body tends to resolve matters faster than a traditional court. Google subsequently countersued Sonos, claiming the company had been using its search, software, networking and audio processing technologies without paying the proper licensing fees. The feud escalated later that same year when Sonos filed a second suit.
Out of the box, modern Sonos speakers support Alexa and Google Assistant, and in a roundabout way Siri as well. Between those options, you might think Sonos would be covered when it comes to voice-activated assistants, but the company may be working on a solution of its own. In a customer survey spotted by VoiceBot.ai and later The Verge, Sonos describes a system that would respond to the phrase “Hey Sonos” and allow users to control music playback, search for songs and move tracks between different speakers in their home.
Additionally, the company states the potential voice assistant would process requests locally, claiming that’s something that would allow it work faster. It also points to the privacy benefits of such a setup. “Sonos Voice Control interprets your voice entirely on the speaker, so no audio is sent to the cloud, stored, transcribed, or listened to by anyone,” the company says in the survey. We’ll note here Sonos bought a startup that specialized in fast and private on-device voice processing in 2019.
A Sonos spokesperson told The Verge the company frequently collects feedback from its customers, but that it had no additional information to share. If Sonos plans to release its own voice assistant, it’s not hard to understand its motivations. After spending at least a year to get Assistant on its devices, the company had a very public falling out with Google in 2020, culminating in an ongoing legal spat between the two.
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but Twitter has once again temporarily stopped accepting new verification applications from users. This latest pause follows after the company briefly opened the process to the public in May and then subsequently closed it down some eight days later.
We’ve temporarily hit pause on rolling out access to apply for Verification so we can make improvements to the application and review process.
For those who have been waiting, we know this may be disappointing. We want to get things right, and appreciate your patience.
At the time, the company said it was doing so because it was “rolling in” verification requests. It took until June for Twitter to sort out the backlog. This time around, the company has a more encouraging excuse. It said it’s taking time to implement tweaks to both the application and review processes, but stopped short of detailing the work it’s doing.
We imagine this latest pause also has something to do with the fact Twitter briefly verified a fake Cormac McCarthy account. Under the company’s public verification rules, an account holder is required to provide evidence like a government-issued ID to prove they’re who they say they are. The holder of the phony McCarthy account apparently didn’t do that.
“For those who have been waiting, we know this may be disappointing,” Twitter said. “We want to get things right, and appreciate your patience.” As before, the company hasn’t said when it plans to start taking applications again.
It could be months before Boeing takes another stab at a Starliner test flight. The company is detaching the capsule from an Atlas V rocket and taking it back to the factory to fix an issue with four propulsion system valves. The problem led to Boeing scrapping the planned second test flight on August 3rd.
Boeing will conduct "deeper-level troubleshooting" of the valves at its Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. Engineers attempted to fix the problem while the Starliner was still on top of the rocket — they managed to repair the nine other valves. Boeing, NASA and Atlas V maker United Launch Alliance will need to find a new launch date when Starliner is ready.
However, as SpaceNews notes, the next opportunity for a test flight could be months away. Boeing may have to wait until after the October launches of NASA’s Lucy asteroid mission and SpaceX’s Crew-3 mission, as well as the return of the Crew-2 spacecraft. So, even if Boeing can fix the valves quickly, it could be November before Starliner can get back on the docking port.
AlgorithmWatch, a group of researchers who had been studying how Instagram’s opaque algorithms function, say they were recently forced to halt their work over concerns Facebook planned to take legal action against them. In a post spotted by The Verge, AlgorithmWatch claims the company accused it of breaching Instagram’s terms of service and said it would move to take “more formal engagement” if the project did not “resolve” the issue.
AlgorithmWatch’s research centered around a browser plugin more than 1,500 individuals downloaded. The tool helped the team to collect information it says allowed it to make some inferences about how Instagram prioritizes specific photos and videos over others.
Most notably, the team found the platform encourages people to show skin. Before publishing its findings, AlgorithmWatch said it had reached out to Facebook for comment, only for the company not to respond initially. However, in May 2020, Facebook told the researchers their work was “flawed in a number of ways” after it said earlier in the year it found a list of issues with the methodology AlgorithmWatch had employed.
When Facebook accused AlgorithmWatch of breaching its terms of service, the company pointed to a section of its rules that prohibits automated data collection. It also said the system violated GDPR, the European Union’s data privacy law. “We only collected data related to content that Facebook displayed to the volunteers who installed the add-on,” AlgorithmWatch said. “In other words, users of the plugin [were] only accessing their own feed, and sharing it with us for research purposes.” As for Facebook’s allegations related to GDPR, the group said, “a cursory look at the source code, which we open-sourced, shows that such data was deleted immediately when arriving at our server.”
Despite the belief they had done nothing wrong, the researchers eventually decided to shutter the project. “Ultimately, an organization the size of AlgorithmWatch cannot risk going to court against a company valued at one trillion dollars,” they said.
When Engadget reached out to Facebook for comment on the situation, the company denied it had threatened to sue the researchers. Here’s the full text of what it had to say:
We believe in independent research into our platform and have worked hard to allow many groups to do it, including AlgorithmWatch — but just not at the expense of anyone’s privacy. We had concerns with their practices, which is why we contacted them multiple times so they could come into compliance with our terms and continue their research, as we routinely do with other research groups when we identify similar concerns. We did not threaten to sue them. The signatories of this letter believe in transparency — and so do we. We collaborate with hundreds of research groups to enable the study of important topics, including by providing data sets and access to APIs, and recently published information explaining how our systems work and why you see what you see on our platform. We intend to keep working with independent researchers, but in ways that don’t put people’s data or privacy at risk.
This episode with AlgorithmWatch has worrisome parallels with actions Facebook took earlier in the month against a project called NYU Ad Observatory, which had been studying how political advertisers target their ads. Facebook has some tools in place to assist researchers in their work, but for the most part, its platforms have been a black box since the fallout of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. That’s a significant problem, as AlgorithmWatch points out.
“Large platforms play an oversized, and largely unknown, role in society, from identity-building to voting choices,” it said. “Only if we understand how our public sphere is influenced by their algorithmic choices, can we take measures towards ensuring they do not undermine individuals’ autonomy, freedom, and the collective good.”
Today we’ll showcase over 40 of the best black and gold designs you can find at Envato Elements and GraphicRiver.
Unlimited Downloads at Envato Elements
Envato Elements is a terrific resource for designers and dabblers. It offers thousands of premium digital assets like graphic templates, mockups, logos, photos, fonts, and much more.
What makes this service outstanding is that for one low monthly fee you can download as many of these digital assets as you like, as often as you like.
Let’s take a look at some of the stunning black and gold invitation templates available from Envato Elements.
Celebrate the important moments of your life and make sure you invite all your friends to participate in your celebrations. But first, you’ll need a terrific invitation to let them know where and when to show up. Using terrific templates like this black and gold graduation invitation template means you don’t have to waste time creating your own invitation from scratch.
How elegant is this black and gold design? Use this template for a wide range of invitations, from anniversaries to engagement parties. Just add your party details to the template using Photoshop, and you’ve got a great invitation ready to send out.
When you’re looking for something extra special, this black and gold design template is a great choice. Its tasteful modernist look creates a great backdrop for your text. The template is offered in both A4 and US Letter size.
Invite family and friends to your special event when you send out this black and gold wedding invitation. The template is easy to edit in both Photoshop and Illustrator and is fully print-ready.
What could be more classic and eye-catching than this black and gold birthday invitation template? Also perfect for events, anniversary parties, weddings, and more, this fabulous template is easy to edit in Photoshop.
Use this playful and elegant black and goal invitation template to create all the stationery you need for your upcoming wedding. The set contains wedding invitations, save the date cards, RSVP cards, and thank you cards.
Looking for something formal with a personal touch for your wedding invite? How about this modern and minimalist black and gold template? The template offers two cards that are easy to customise in either Photoshop or Illustrator.
This floral black and gold wedding invitation is just what you need to create that very special touch for your wedding stationery. All you need to do is add your name and other wedding details to the template using either Photoshop or Illustrator, and your template is ready to go. Of course, you can also make more extensive changes if you care to.
These modernist black and gold invitation templates are a great choice for your next event, gallery opening, or the opening of a new venue. The template contains two Photoshop files, one with black lettering and graphics against a gold background and the other with gold lettering and graphics against a black background. Use either or both templates to create your own visually stunning invitations.
If you’re looking for a complete wedding stationery suite, you can’t go wrong with this black and gold template. The template set contains nine items: invitation, save the date, RSVP, thank you, menu, and more.
Here’s another super elegant and super special black and gold template. It’s a great choice for inviting your special friends, fans, or target audience to the opening of a very special event. The files are well organised in layers and colour coded so they are easy to edit.
Use this wonderful Art-Deco-inspired black and gold design for invitations to your anniversary, birthday, wedding, or any other event. All you need to do is add your text to the Photoshop file, and in a matter of minutes your invitation is ready to print or post to social media.
Celebrate Christmas and let your friends know that you’re going to have the most amazing party of the year when you send out this black and gold Christmas invitation. The template contains both an invitation and a greeting card so you can create your own unique stationery for the season.
Looking for something a bit more casual but still elegant? Then how about this black and gold confetti Christmas party invitation? To use this template, you will need a working knowledge of Photoshop.
Impress your guests with this beautiful invitation. What’s great about this black and gold template is that all you need to do is add your text details and the template is ready to share with your friends.
Simple doesn’t have to be boring, and this black and gold wedding invitation proves that. Simple indeed, but also elegant, the template can be used for birthday and anniversary parties as well.
Go vintage when you use this Art-Deco-inspired black and gold birthday invitation template. All you need to do is open the file in Illustrator and enter your party details. Customisation is as simple as that.
When you have a special event like an anniversary or a gallery or club opening, this is the template to use. The black and gold design template offers just the right amount of glitz and glamour to intrigue and entice your intended audience.
This black and muted gold template is just perfect for your wedding invitations. You will need a knowledge of either Illustrator or Photoshop to customise this template. The text and images are all organised on separate layers to make editing easy.
How about this fabulous black and gold design for your next event? The template contains two Photoshop files in A4 and US Letter size. One offers black lettering against a gold background, while the other offers gold lettering against a black background.
How beautiful is this black and gold wedding invitation set? The template offers seven different cards for your wedding stationery, including an invitation, save the date card, RSVP card, table numbers, place cards, and more.
Premium Downloads From GraphicRiver
GraphicRiver is another service that offers eye-catching black and gold invitation templates and other premium digital assets, but it works a bit differently from Elements in that it offers single downloads for one low fee. This makes it a great choice for those on a budget.
Let’s take a look at some of the premium black and gold blank invitation templates there.
Here’s a black and gold invitation template that’s perfect for those big events when you want to communicate a sense of exclusivity as well as style. The template contains one layered Photoshop file which you can edit as little or as much as you want to.
Ring in the New Year—and invite your guests to ring it in with you—when you send out invitations using this beautiful New Year’s black and gold template.
This floral black and gold template offers a beautiful and stylish background for your invitation. The template comes in both Photoshop and Illustrator file formats. Add your text, and your invitation is ready to go.
A gorgeous black-and-white birthday invitation template that’s perfect for a landmark birthday or even your golden anniversary celebration, this template offers a choice of either gold against a black background or black on a gold background. Choose the one that appeals most, add your text, and you’re done.
When you want a Christmas party invitation that creates a splash, this black and gold design is a great idea. Use Photoshop to add your own text, and your design will be ready in minutes.
It’s your birthday, and you’re looking for a standout design for your invitation. Well, here it is! This black and gold birthday invitation template is everything that you could possibly hope for. You can choose between gold on black or gold on white. Once you’ve made your choice, edit your template by adding your text using Photoshop.
This black and gold invitation template offers a beautiful marbled background against which your text will stand out. What better way to impress your invitees than to use this beautifully designed invitation template?
Bring a bit of vintage style to your wedding invitations when you use this black and gold Art Deco wedding invitation template. There are seven files included in the template: wedding invitation, save the date, RSVP, thank you card, menu card, and more. Whether you’re proficient in Photoshop or Illustrator, this template makes it easy for you to add your own details.
Champagne and sparklers go with New Year celebrations just as much as the countdown. Get your guests ready for a great celebration when you use this New Year’s black and gold invitation template. Customisation is easy with Photoshop. You can edit the text and images using smart objects.
This beautiful black and gold design Christmas invitation flyer is exactly what you need for your next Christmas party. The easy-to-edit files also include an invitation in white and gold in case you prefer that combination.
Do something a bit different when you send out black and gold invitations to your wedding. You will definitely capture the imagination of every guest and have them looking forward to an evening to remember.
This Art-Deco-inspired wedding invitation is a beautiful way to add a vintage quality to your wedding stationery. The template is fully editable in both Photoshop and Illustrator.
Get ready for your party ahead of time when you select this beautiful black and gold invitation template. The template features a gold Christmas tree and silver and gold stars against a black background. Use Photoshop to add your text, and in minutes your invitation will be ready to send out.
This beautifully designed black and gold anniversary invitation is also offered, as you can see, in white and gold. Choose the combination you prefer, and then open up the file in Photoshop and add your text.
Graduating from any educational institute is definitely cause to celebrate. And if you decide to have a party to celebrate this major milestone, you want an invitation worthy of this great moment. That’s where this fabulous black and gold graduation card comes in. It will help you communicate the importance of the moment in style.
If your taste tends to run to the more understated, this is the perfect black and goal invitation template for you. This wonderful template can be used for Christmas, birthday, anniversary parties, or just about any event you have in mind.
If there’s any time that black and gold is a great choice for invitations, it’s for Christmas. This template comes with six Photoshop files, and all design elements are organised on separate layers to make them easy to edit.
This beautiful retro template enables you to create an elegant wedding invitation in Photoshop or Illustrator in a matter of minutes. The beautiful black and gold colour scheme makes the Art Deco design an elegant and eye-catching choice. The set includes templates for invitations, RSVP cards, menus, and more.
How about this wonderful black and gold birthday invitation template for your next birthday party? The elegant and unique birthday invitation template is easy to edit in Photoshop. Just add your text, and your template is ready to use.
Choose Your Favourite Black and Gold Invitation Template
Now you know just where to find the best invitation templates when you need them. Head on over to Envato Elements and GraphicRiver and download your favourite template today.
And if you’re interested in learning how to create your own invitations from scratch or you want to see more templates available at Envato Elements and GraphicRiver, check out these super helpful articles below:
