iPhone SE 2 To Launch On 2020: A13 Chip, $399 Price Tag, No 3D Touch

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has just revealed more details on the iPhone SE 2 that's slated for release in early 2020. Previous leaks from Kuo already tackled next year's iteration of the budget smartphone, saying that Apple is planning use a similar design as the iPhone 8 while boasting an elevated iPhone 11 performance. Now, the reliable analyst is spilling more about what consumers can expect from the upcoming iPhone SE 2. Apple Upgrades Next iPhone SE Specs While the form factor of the iPhone SE 2 may be a throwback, its specs will be new generation. According to 9to5Mac, Kuo said the upcoming smartphone will launch with the latest A13 chip, which is the exact same processor running in the newly-launched iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. On the other hand, the iPhone SE 2 is expected to carry 3 GB of RAM, a full 1 GB less than the more premium smartphones of the Apple lineup. Apple users eyeing the more affordable SE model will have their pick of 64 GB or 128 GB storage configurations as well as three different color options of silver, space gray, and red. One feature the budget iPhone SE 2 will not come with is 3D Touch, which is already something that the company scrapped from its latest iPhone lineup. All of these features and some lack of features are expected to come with a price tag starting at $399. This puts it at the same price as the original iPhone SE, which was released in 2016 with a 16 GB storage configuration. Kuo, who is known to provide accurate information on unreleased Apple products, expects the iPhone SE 2 announcement and launch to be in early 2020. iPhone SE 2 Users According to Kuo, this cheaper iPhone model is geared toward current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who are no longer able to update to the new iOS 13 this year. With the iPhone SE 2, consumers can stay in the Apple ecosystem with a smartphone that has the same CPU as all the latest models at a more affordable price point. By comparison, the iPhone 8 with 64 GB storage currently goes for $449. Phone Arena noted that other targeted consumers may also be first-time iOS owners, users who don't need all the features on the premium models, or those do not want to spend $699 for the 64 GB iPhone 11. Kuo predicted the company to sell more than 30 million units of iPhone SE 2 in 2020. Apple has reportedly requested suppliers to produce 2 to 4 million units of the new smartphone per month.

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You can’t use the Pixelbook Pen with the Pixelbook Go

Today, Google announced the Pixelbook Go, its first new laptop in two years. It starts at a modest $649, which is cheaper than the $999 Pixelbook, but that smaller price comes with some tradeoffs. Though the Go has a touchscreen, you can’t flip the that screen all the way around into tablet mode, like you can with the Pixelbook. Another tradeoff: the Go doesn’t support the $99 Pixelbook Pen, Google tells Android Police. The omission is a bit of a disappointment, as it would be nice to see the Go support Google’s own stylus — right now, the Pen only works with the Pixelbook and Google’s Pixel Slate tablet. There are definitely traditional laptops with stylus support, like Microsoft’s recently-announced Surface Laptop 3, which supports the Surface Pen. Even some cheaper Chromebooks, like the $499 Samsung Chromebook Plus V2, have stylus support. But, speaking for myself, I feel like the screen angles of a traditional clamshell laptop might make using a stylus kind of clunky. Perhaps that’s why Google opted not to have the Go support the Pen. It seems unlikely that you’ll accidentally buy both the Go and the incompatible Pen, at least when getting the Go through Google’s online store. I went through the flow of “buying” the Go to see if the Pen would be recommended to me as an add-on, and it wasn’t. It’s also not like Pixelbook Go buyers are likely to already have a Pen lying around, because if they already own a Pixelbook, the Go isn’t powerful enough to be a likely upgrade route. If you’re looking for a Google-made device to easily sketch on, the Go probably isn’t it — you’ll have to pick between the old Pixelbook or Pixel Slate instead.

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Pixel Buds hands-on: Google just (probably) won the headphone war [Video]

Google’s first generation of Pixel Buds proved a decent offering, but they paled in comparison to the likes of Apple’s AirPods. Now, Google has announced a new take on its smart earbuds with the Pixel Buds (2nd gen). With the second generation of Pixel Buds, Google is making some crucial changes to the product. Gone is the wire connecting the two earbuds and instead, a truly wireless design just like Apple’s AirPods, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds, and a host of others. The new Pixel Buds come with a lot of the same core design ideas as the original, but they make changes in several important areas. For one, the design is now more like traditional earbuds with a rubber tip that “seals” your ear canal. However, the most clever part of Google’s entire design is that that doesn’t actually seal you off from the rest of the world. There’s a “spatial vent” on the earbud which lets the noise around you in, but only to a certain degree. This doesn’t help with noise cancellation, but it does get rid of that sealed-in feeling that most headphones with this design have. I won’t lie, I wanted to stand up and clap when Google announced this at its event because it’s been one of my biggest issues with other earbuds. Moving from one great thing to another, there’s the new carrying case. Just like the previous offering, it has USB-C which is nice, but everything else is totally different. The outer material is now a matte finish which feels excellent in the hand, and the contrast of the white outside to the black inside is a great look to me. The real win for Google here, though, is the size of that case. While the likes of the Galaxy Buds and every other AirPods competitor has a huge case that’s uncomfortable to hold in your pocket, Google has crafted one that’s just about the perfect size. It’s only a bit bigger and a bit thicker than the AirPods case which is simply impressive to me. Another nice addition Google has made is that the case works with wireless charging. Really, looking at the whole package, there’s no big negative to the Pixel Buds (2nd gen). They have a truly wireless design with a very clever design, a decent price at $179, and all of the Assistant features we loved from the original – now with “Hey Google” support too. As it stands, I think Google has won the war on wireless headphones, with one asterisk. Google says it custom-engineered the audio from these headphones. Because they won’t be on sale until next year and don’t have FCC approval yet, I wasn’t able to try out the sound quality, but Google is making big promises in that department. If it lives up to its claims, I think the new Pixel Buds will be unreservedly the best wireless headphones on the market. Until that time, I’ll be begrudgingly continuing to use AirPods with my Pixel and sit on the Google Store’s waitlist.

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Google Maps Adds Detailed Voice Guidance For People With Visual Impairments

People with visual impairments can now navigate the streets and safely get to their walking destinations by using Google Maps. On Thursday, Oct. 10, for World Sight Day, Google rolled out a new feature that gives more detailed voice guidance to those who cannot rely on their vision to move around the city. Google Maps Detailed Voice Guidance "As a legally blind woman living in Tokyo, I know that getting around unfamiliar environments can be a challenge. I can easily commute from my front door to my desk at work; it's a trip I take regularly and know well," wrote Wakana Sugiyama, a business analyst at Google, in a blog post. "But going some place new and unfamiliar can be an intimidating experience without sight to guide you." Detailed voice is the first Google Maps feature to be developed by and for people with visual impairment. Users who turn the feature on will constantly be notified if they are following the correct route until they get to their destination. The app will also let users know the direction they are walking in, the distance until the next turn, and if there is a large intersection ahead. Google Maps will provide visually impaired users periodic alerts, announcements, and warning throughout the journey. "Frequent updates like these not only help a visually impaired person get from A to B, they can also give us more confidence and reassurance when we travel alone," added Sugiyama. To start using the new feature, users can go to the app's settings and select "Navigation." At the bottom of the list, there should be an option that says "Detailed Voice Guidance." Google Maps users can now access the new feature on iOS and Android. Right now, detailed voice guidance is only available in English (United States) and Japanese (Japan), but Google is currently working on adding more languages and countries. Apple Also Working On Adding New Features On Maps Apple is also reportedly developing its own Maps app to be more accessible to people with visual impairment. The trillion-dollar Cupertino-based company previously filed a patent for "touch-based exploration of maps for screen reader users." According to the World Health Association, at least 2.2 billion people around the world experience vision impairment or blindness. Majority of them are over the age of 50.

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Hackers stole 26 million credit cards, but vigilantes just rescued them

retailers over four years. In 2019 alone, about 8 million records were uploaded to the site. Additional data obtained from the hack shows that BriansClub took 1.7 million cards in 2015, 2.9 million in 2016, 4.9 million in 2017, and 9.2 million in 2018. All in all, the security intelligence firm Flashpoint estimates that the site had approximately $414 million worth of stolen credit cards for sale. Flashpoint said that the site sold a total of 9.1 million of these stolen credit cards, earning themselves $126 million in Bitcoin in the process. Fourteen million of the 26 million cards obtained by the hack may be still valid. While most hacks negatively impact people and compromise personal information, hacks like this result in justice served. Allison Nixon, the director of security research at Flashpoint, told Brian Krebs of KrebsOnSecurity, “When people talk about ‘hacking back,’ they’re talking about stuff like this. “As long as our government is hacking into all these foreign government resources, they should be hacking into these carding sites as well. There’s a lot of attention being paid to this data now and people are remediating and working on it.” Still, hacking negatively impacts people more than anything. In 2019 alone, there have been quite a few large hacks of well-known companies and apps. These include Sprint, Words with Friends, NASA, Capital One, and even Twitter. Perhaps the most serious hack in history was the Equifax breach of 2017. The data loss exposed the sensitive financial data of more than 145 million consumers in the U.S., and several million in the U.K. as well. Its effects also reverberated beyond the intrusion proper to impact U.S. consumers with records held by Equifax competitor TransUnion.

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Tesla Model Y vehicles with new wheels spotted on carrier near factory

Several Tesla Model Y pre-production vehicles with new wheels were spotted on a carrier near Tesla’s Fremont factory ahead of production. In March, Tesla unveiled the Model Y, an all-electric crossover with up to 300 miles of range. Tesla plans to bring the vehicle to production in spring 2020. The automaker has achieved an annualized production rate of about 400,000 cars at the factory, and it has talked about raising the capacity to 500,000 units per year. CEO Elon Musk previously mentioned that he sees potential for Tesla making up to 1 million cars per year at the Fremont factory. With this potential for higher output, Tesla considered the Fremont factory as a location to produce the new Model Y. After about a year of debating it, the automaker confirmed in July that it will build Model Y in Fremont. Less than a year away from production, we recently learned that Tesla is working on a fifth assembly line at the Fremont factory ahead of Model Y production. Now several Model Y pre-production vehicles have been spotted near the factory (via Francis Tang on Instagram): https://electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-15-at-9.47.18-AM.jpg?resize=1024,764 Two Model Y prototypes were previous spotted being tested around Tesla’s headquarters in Palo Alto, but it’s the first time that so many vehicles have been spotted together. The fact that it was spotted near the factory is also interesting, as people are wondering at what stage of preparation of Model Y production Tesla is currently working on at the factory. ...

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iOS 13.1.3 is the latest software update from Apple to fix iPhone and iPad bugs [U]

Update: Apple has also released a supplemental update to macOS Catalina, find the full release notes below. Apple is releasing iOS 13.1.3 to the public today with further bug fixes and performance improvements. The update, alongside iPadOS 13.1.3, is rolling out to now to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users. Apple says the update address issues in the Mail app, for Bluetooth connectivity, and more. Below is the full rundown of what’s changed in iOS 13.1.3. iOS 13.1.3 includes bug fixes and improvements for your iPhone. This update: Addresses an issue that could prevent a device from ringing or vibrating for an incoming call Fixes an issue that may prevent opening a meeting invite in Mail Resolves an issue where data in the Health app may not display correctly after daylight savings time adjusts Fixes an issue where Voice Memos recordings may not download after restoring from iCloud Backup Addresses an issue where apps might fail to download when restoring from iCloud Backup Fixes an issue that can prevent Apple Watch from pairing successfully Resolves an issue where notifications may not be received on Apple Watch Fixes an issue where Bluetooth may disconnect on certain vehicles Improves connection reliability of Bluetooth hearing aids and headsets Addresses launch performance for apps that use Game Center Apple has been releasing new versions of iOS 13 at a swift pace recently. Last month, Apple released iOS 13.1.1 and followed it up with iOS 13.1.2 just two days later. Both updates focused on performance improvements and bug fixes for things like the Camera app, iCloud backups, and more. Ultimately, the moral of the story here is to expect general performance improvements, squashed bugs, and more thanks to iOS 13.1.3. Apple is also currently beta testing iOS 13.2 with its new Deep Fusion camera technology and more. Spot any major changes in the public release of iOS 13.1.3? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, @9to5Mac. ...

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Tulsi Gabbard is the only level head on impeaching Trump

Tulsi Gabbard is never afraid to break from the pack. And her early answers at the CNN Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night was no exception — she took a divergent approach, at least rhetorically, when discussing impeachment. Debate moderators, unsurprisingly, opened by asking every candidate about their stance on impeachment. Most took the opportunity to grand stand and morally preen, citing everything from the failed "Russiagate" collusion hoax to more serious and troubling concerns regarding the president’s dealings with Ukraine. From Kamala Harris saying she “knows a confession when she sees one” (um, she tried to make an innocent man register as a sex offender) to Elizabeth Warren pretending that “some things are just more important than politics,” it was ultimately clear. Gabbard, while she does support an impeachment inquiry, broke with the back to push back against their partisan narratives. "If impeachment is driven by these hyper partisan interests ... it will only further divide the country," she said.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: "If impeachment is driven by these hyper-partisan interests, it will only further divide an already terribly divided country." https://t.co/zR9cyoISvY #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/bSPKSSaHLV

— ABC News (@ABC) 16 de octubre de 2019

Tulsi Gabbard, one of the last Democrats to back the impeachment inquiry, says it's "the only way forward" but she worries Trump will be exonerated by the Senate and claim vindication.

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) 16 de octubre de 2019

The Hawaii Democrat is right to call for restraint. On the debate stage, she noted that “Calls for impeachment really began shortly after Trump won his election, and as unhappy as that may make us as Democrats, he won that election in 2016." She’s spot on. As I wrote previously, “Gabbard is right that Democrats ought to come to their senses and focus on beating Trump at the ballot box in 2020.” Of course partisan hacks hate the fact that Gabbard focuses on unity and unifying rhetoric. They immediately jumped down her throat for it online. But when your enemies respond to well-reasoned objections with visceral personal attacks, you know you’re on to something. ...

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The Samsung Galaxy Fold, again: Hard to love, even harder to hate

The Galaxy Fold lives. I don't just mean in the vague "Samsung bounces back from a fiasco" sense, either. My Galaxy Fold, which I've been tossing around for weeks, opening and closing it like a madman, mostly works the same as it did the day I unboxed it. Had the Fold failed again the way it did earlier this year, it might have been enough to seriously derail Samsung's grand, foldable ambitions. This review would've been totally different, too. I could've gotten on my high horse and said a few things about innovation at the expense of usability, with a dash of pro-consumer indignation to spice things up a bit. It would've been a fun read. But reality can be pretty banal sometimes. Because of that, we instead have to face a more complicated truth about the Galaxy Fold: You shouldn't buy one. Not because it's expensive, or because of its long-term potential for failure, although those are valid concerns. No, you shouldn't buy one because it's just not quite as thoroughly thought-out as a $2,000 phone should be. When I wrote our original review, I said that people who did splurge on one were paying for the privilege of being Samsung's guinea pig. Despite the company's thoughtful design fixes, that simply hasn't changed.

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Leo Labs and its high-fidelity space radar track orbital debris better than ever — from New Zealand

Ask anyone in the space business and they’ll tell you that orbital debris is a serious problem that will only get worse, but dealing with it is as much an opportunity as it is a problem. Leo Labs is building a global network of radar arrays that can track smaller debris than we can today, and with better precision — and the first of its new installations is about to start operations in New Zealand. There are some 12,000 known debris objects in low Earth orbit, many of which are tracked by the U.S. Air Force and partners. But they only track debris down to 10 centimeters across — meaning in reality there may be hundreds of thousands of objects up there, just as potentially destructive to a satellite but totally unknown. “Everyone’s flying blind and no one’s really talking about it,” said Leo Labs CEO Dan Ceperley. But his company hopes to change that with a set of advanced radars dedicated to the purpose, for which the company raised $13 million last year. “We’re extremely excited to show this New Zealand radar, because it’s the first instance of our next generation technology. We launched the company on the strength of this radar,” Ceperley said. The installation uses what’s called a phased array radar, very different from the traditional big dishes one generally thinks of. The beam is electronically steered, letting it change targets in milliseconds or sweep the sky faster than any physically controlled dish could.

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Porsche has a new, cheaper version of the all-electric Taycan

Porsche introduced Monday the Taycan 4S, a third version of its all-electric vehicle. The 4S, which will offer a performance-battery-plus option, looks like the Taycan that Porsche unveiled in September. And indeed, inside all of the Taycans, including the 4S, are the same chassis and suspension, permanent magnet synchronous motors and other bits. But this version is a little lighter, cheaper and a skosh slower than the high-end versions of the Taycan that were introduced just seven weeks ago. Porsche has always said it would have multiple versions of the Taycan. In September, the German automaker showed what $1 billion of initial investment looks like with the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo — the more powerful and expensive versions of its all-electric four-door sports car with base prices of $185,000 and $150,900, respectively. Meanwhile, the base version Porsche Taycan 4S is more than $80,000 cheaper than its leading model. The 4S will be available with two battery sizes. The standard 4S starts at $103,800 and comes with a 79.2 kWh battery pack and a pair of electric motors that produce 429 horsepower (320 kW). With the launch control engaged, the horsepower jumps to 522. Customers who opt for the performance-battery-plus version of the 4S will shell out at least $110,380 for a vehicle with a 93.4 kWh battery and dual electric motors that can produce up to 563 hp (420 kW). Both of the 4S models have a top speed of 155 miles per hour and can travel from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. The Taycan 4S is scheduled to arrive in U.S. dealerships in spring 2020. The 4S is no match for the Turbo S, the most powerful Taycan, which has an output of 616 hp (or 751 hp with the launch control engaged). The Turbo S has a maximum torque of 774 pound-feet and can travel from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds. Of course, that kind of power comes at a price. The Taycan Turbo S starts at $185,000. Porsche has yet to release the EPA battery range estimates for the 4S — or for the Turbo S or Turbo for that matter. The EPA range estimate for the North American market is pending for all of the vehicles. Under Europe’s WLTP estimates, the Turbo S can travel 256 miles on a single charge, while the Turbo has a range of 280 miles.

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Exclusive: A maturing Google hardware lineup brings five notable refreshes

In its fourth year, Google Hardware is launching maturing followups to five major products. Our sources say to expect Google’s latest flagship smartphone, the Pixel 4, as well as a Pixelbook Go laptop, a second generation version of its Nest Mini and Nest Wifi connected home devices, and a followup to the Pixel Buds. We’ve been tracking these products extensively for almost a year, and you’ll find everything we know — and some new tidbits — below… Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL Google’s Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are certainly coming, and here’s essentially everything you need to know, according to multiple of our own sources: There will be two devices, like last year, and they will identical save for screen size and battery capacity Google is walking back its notch-centric design from last year, opting for a sizable top bezel on the Pixel 4 A headline feature this year is Project Soli-powered ‘Motion Sense’ for controlling the device — change tracks, silence alarms and phone calls Google will debut the next-generation Assistant on Pixel 4, including many new features Google will debut new camera features on Pixel 4, including Dual Exposure Camera Controls, astrophotography, and more The Pixel 4 has IR-based facial security in lieu of a fingerprint sensor Expect “Smooth Display” for faster refresh rates up to 90Hz Both devices will have OLED displays, 5.7-inch and 6.3-inch, respectively 5.7-incher has 2,800 mAh battery, while the larger is 3,700 mAh Cameras: 8MP on front, 12MP camera and 16MP (telephoto) on the back The devices will bring Snapdragon 855 processors, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB/128GB storage Stereo speakers are in tow Both new devices still support Active Edge Both new devices still support Pixel Stand There are new live wallpapers for your enjoyment on Pixel 4 Google is introducing a new app called “Recorder” Pixel 4 will have a customizable user interface with Pixel Themes Other things: Titan M security module, Pixel Neural Core chip, and Android 10 with 3 years of software support Pixel 4 and 4 XL are IP68 waterproof Pixel 4 buyers will get 3 months of 100GB on Google One 3 colors: Just Black, Clearly White, and Oh So Orange Google will offer new fabric cases in 3 new colors Pixel 4 will start at $799 — the exact same prices as last year There are too many Pixel 4 visual leaks to count… ...

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New Tesla Truck Render Features RamBox, No Frunk, Tons Of Glass

Would Tesla actually do away with a frunk though? This new Tesla pickup truck render is quite radical in that it features a ton of glass, no noticeable front truck and what appears to be a take on the Ram box on the side of the truck bed. And this certainly isn't the first time we've seen some Ram truck elements appear on rendered Teslas. There has been no shortage of Tesla truck renders (check out our top five Tesla truck renders here), but few have incorporated the lone teaser image of the Tesla truck that was released by Elon Musk. Though this particular render, which comes to us via Erwin at Swerve Designs, isn't really what we expected the finished product to resemble, it does manage to fully incorporate Musk's teaser image (see below). What we don't approve of in this render from Swerve Designs is the lack of a noticeable front trunk. Maybe it's lurking somewhere under all that overwhelming amount of glass, but we can't see the frunk in the image. Tesla does seem to love a lot of glass, but there's a point when it's just too much and we think that threshold has been exceeded here. Out in the back of the rendered truck, however, is the appearance of what seems to be another Ram truck element. Known as the RamBox (pictured below), which is a really nifty storage compartment on the side of the bed of the pickup truck.

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Nissan unveils new urban electric car

While we are waiting for Nissan to unveil its new electric SUV, the Japanese automaker surprised us today with a new urban electric car: The Nissan IMk. The company says that the new 100% electric concept car “hints at the new direction of Nissan’s design language.” Satoru Tai, executive design director at Nissan, describes the vehicle: “As a small EV for a new era, the Nissan IMk is designed to be at home in sophisticated cityscapes as much as in traditional Japanese towns. The IMk fuses a modern, clean look, driven by its Japanese heritage, with cutting-edge EV technology. Unconstrained by conventional concepts of the kei car segment, its design is interwoven with Japanese culture. It’s a luxury small EV that I hope a lot of customers are going to drive.” Here are a few images of the new Nissan IMk electric urban car released by the company today: Nissan didn’t reveal any detail about the powertrain of the concept other than saying that it will be based on their experience with the Leaf: “The Nissan IMk concept builds on this experience by offering a pure electric for alternative for customers who desire a compact vehicle suited for a sprawling metropolis.” They haven’t committed to bringing a version of the car to production. Instead, Asako Hoshino, Nissan’s executive vice president overseeing global marketing and sales and the brand’s global EV business, says that it gives a glimpse at Nissan’s plans for electrification: “The IMk concept provides a glimpse of the new direction of Nissan Intelligent Mobility as technology evolves toward electrification and connectivity. At Nissan, we intend to continue launching cars with the latest advanced systems to maintain our lead in automotive innovation.” The IMk concept will be one of 14 cars displayed at Nissan’s booth at the Tokyo Auto Show later this month.

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Microsoft’s Windows Virtual Desktop service is now generally available

Microsoft today announced that Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), its Azure-based system for virtualizing the Windows and Office user experience it announced last September, is now generally available. Using WVD, enterprises can give their employees access to virtualized applications and remote desktops, including the ability to provide multi-session Windows 10 experiences, something that sets Microsoft’s own apart from that of other vendors that offer virtualized Windows desktops and applications. In addition to making the service generally available, Microsoft is also rolling it out globally, whereas the preview was U.S.-only and the original plan was to slowly roll it out globally. Scott Manchester, the principal engineering lead for WVD, also told me that more than 20,000 companies signed up for the preview. He also noted that Microsoft Teams is getting enhanced support in WVD with a significantly improved video conferencing experience. Shortly after announcing the preview of WVD, Microsoft acquired a company called FSLogix, which specialized in provisioning the same kind of virtualized Windows environments that Microsoft offers through WVD. As Microsoft’s corporate VP for Microsoft 365 told me ahead of today’s announcement, the company took a lot of the know-how from FSLogix to ensure that the user experience on WVD is as smooth as possible. Brad Anderson, CVP of Microsoft 365, noted that just as enterprises are getting more comfortable with moving some of their infrastructure to the cloud (and have others worry about managing it), there is now also growing demand from organizations that want this same experience for their desktop experiences. “They look at the cloud as a way of saying, ‘listen, let the experts manage the infrastructure. They can optimize it; they can fine-tune it; they can make sure that it’s all done right.’ And then I’ll just have a first-party service — in this case Microsoft — that I can leverage to simplify my life and enable me to spin up and down capacity on demand,” Anderson said. He also noted, though, that making sure that these services are always available is maybe even more critical than for other workloads that have moved to the cloud. If your desktop stops working, you can’t get much done, after all. ...

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Facebook Launches Virtual Social Network That Allows Users To Create Their Own World

Facebook is launching a new social media app where users can create virtual worlds to explore and hang out with friends. At the sixth annual Oculus Connect event held on Wednesday, Sept. 26, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Horizon, a social app that will be available to owners of Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift. The Future Of Social Media In Horizon, users can create and customize their own legless avatars they will use to explore and mingle with other people within the ever-expanding virtual universe. They can hang out at a town plaza setting and meet friends or jump into portals (they call telepods) to new places where they can play games and build communities. At first, users will only be able to access games and experiences developed by Facebook. However, as users create their own spaces, more telepods will appear to provide more virtual worlds to explore. "VR is already a great place to hang out with friends, play games, and watch movies. It's also a fantastic way to learn new skills and explore our world," reads a press release from Facebook. "Human curiosity and connection are central to each of these experiences, and they're also at the heart of Horizon." Anyone can create their own virtual spaces and customize them according to their interests and personalities. Facebook said that the app will have "intuitive building tools" that would be easy to use, even to those who do not know how to code. "Horizon will ensure a welcoming environment through new safety tools and human guides - Horizon Locals - to answer questions and provide assistance, if needed," added Facebook. Facebook's Horizon will launch by early next year. However, those who are interested can test out the virtual social network by signing up to the beta. Facebook Shutting Down Facebook Spaces, Oculus Room Horizon, of course, is not Facebook's first social app for virtual reality. In 2017, the company unveiled Facebook Spaces which allowed users to hang out with friends in a virtual park and other settings. However, before the arrival of Horizon, Facebook announced that it will shut down Facebook Spaces and Oculus Rooms by Oct. 25 to focus all efforts into the launch of the new app.

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