Friday, August 20, 2021

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Hackers steal $97 million from Japan's Liquid crypto exchange

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 02:55 AM PDT

Just days after a hacker pulled off an audacious crypto heist, another major public breach has occured. Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Liquid is the latest victim of a cyberattack that has seen hackers make off with an estimated $97 million in stolen assets. The funds include $45 million in Ethereum tokens, which the culprit is converting into Ether using decentralised exchanges to avoid them being frozen, according to Elliptic, a crypto tracking firm that is assisting Liquid in its investigation. 

Liquid revealed on Thursday morning, Singapore time, that it had detected unauthorized access of some customers' crypto wallets. The breach prompted it to halt all crypto withdrawals, though other services including fiat withdrawals and deposits were kept open. In its most recent update on Twitter, the company said it was tracking the movement of the stolen assets and working with other exchanges to freeze and recover the funds. 

The incident is the second major crypto heist to take place this month. Earlier, a hacker stole — and quickly returned — about $611 million in in Ethereum, Shiba Inu and other digital currencies from the decentralized Poly Network finance platform. The company later offered the as-yet unidentified perpetrator a bug bounty of $500,000 for helping to identify security vulnerabilities in its systems. However, it's unclear whether the reward was used as a bargaining tool or just a means of putting a positive spin on an otherwise damaging series of events. 

Neither is this the first time a Japanese exchange has been targeted. Back in 2018, Tokyo-based Coincheck lost roughly $534 million worth of lesser-known crypto tokens in a hack. Earlier still, in 2014, its Japanese peer Mt. Gox lost between $400 million and $480 million in a crypto heist, which resulted in Japan's legislators passing a law to regulate bitcoin exchanges.

Apple employees likely won't return to the office until 2022

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 02:25 AM PDT

Apple has again pushed back its planned return to the office for US workers due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Bloomberg reports that the company has shifted its October date to January, though the schedule remains tentative for now. 

Apple reportedly told employees in a memo that it would confirm the re-opening deadline one month before staff are expected to return to corporate workplaces. Like many employers, the iPhone maker is also preparing for a hybrid work routine. Apple apparently expects staff to attend the office at least three days a week — Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays — with the option to work remotely on Wednesday and Friday.

The delay is the latest bout of disruption to Apple's business. Its previous return to work deadline of September was met with resistance by some employees, who claimed their voices were being ignored. The same subset of workers also demanded a full-time remote work option. 

On the retail side, Apple has repeatedly been forced to shutter its stores alongside the rise and fall of the virus. Just this week, it closed its store in Charleston, South Carolina, after more than 20 staff members were exposed to COVID-19. The decision reflected the risks Apple is facing in resuming normal operations. 

Apple re-opened its retail stores earlier this year and has not indicated whether it plans to close them again, despite the spread of COVID-19 fueled by the Delta variant. Though, it quickly backtracked on its plan to restore in-store educational classes. Apple also recently reinstated its mask mandate for staff and store visitors in July after dropping the requirement in June for vaccinated customers. While its hardware business is facing the same chip shortage problem that has entangled the rest of the tech industry.

Bethesda is releasing a 10th Anniversary edition of 'Skyrim'

Posted: 20 Aug 2021 01:40 AM PDT

Bethesda is releasing yet another version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, this time to celebrate the popular title's 10th anniversary. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition will be available for the PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and X, as well as the PlayStation 4 on November 11th, 2021, exactly 10 years after the game was first released in 2011. It will also have backwards compatibility with the PlayStation 5 — Bethesda isn't keeping PS players out even after it was acquired by Xbox, though Switch owners will have to get their copy on another console or PC.

The Anniversary edition contains the full game, along with all three of its expansions, namely Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn. It has all the enhancements that came out with the Special Edition, the remaster Bethesda released back in 2016, though it's unclear if this newer version has higher frame rates and better graphics to make them look better on current-gen consoles. 

The game also comes with new features, including a fishing mechanic, as well as 500 pieces of Creation Club content, quests, dungeon, bosses, weapons and spells unique to the version. However, Bethesda has yet to release details about those new features, so players may have to wait for more information to figure out if the game is worth another purchase. 

According to IGN, old fans can upgrade their game to the Anniversary Edition if they already have the Special Edition. The upgrade won't be free, but the studio hasn't revealed at this point how much it would cost. 

Tesla is working on an AI-powered humanoid robot

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 08:36 PM PDT

Tesla is building a humanoid robot simply called the Tesla Bot, Elon Musk has revealed at the automaker's (and, perhaps, soon-to-be-robotmaker's) AI Day event. It's intended to be friendly, he said, and be slow and weak enough that you can outrun and overpower it — you know, just in case the robot uprising does happen in the future. 

The Tesla Bot will run on an artificial intelligence system, not unlike the company's Autopilot technology for its vehicles. It will be designed to do various dangerous and repetitive tasks for humans and navigate our world without having to be fed step-by-step instructions. Musk said it should be able to follow simple commands, like "Please pick up that bolt and attach it to the car with that wrench." It should also be able to get groceries for owners and perform other menial tasks.

While Musk only presented an image of the robot during the event, the company already has a solid vision of what the machine will look like. It will stand at 5'8" tall and weigh 125 pounds, thanks to the use of lightweight materials for its body, with a screen for a face that it can use to display useful information. The machine will be able to move with a top speed of 5mph, which is just a bit faster than the average human walking speed, and will have the capacity to carry loads of up to 45 pounds. 

Musk said the company plans to have a prototype of the Tesla Bot ready by next year, though delays wouldn't come as a surprise for ambitious projects like this.

Facebook launches tool to help people in Afghanistan lock down their accounts

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 04:01 PM PDT

Facebook's introducing new tools to help people in Afghanistan lock down their accounts' privacy settings. The "one-click" tool will activate privacy settings for timeline posts, and prevent profile photos from being downloaded or shared, Facebook's Head of Security Policy Nathaniel Gleicher said in a statement.

The feature will encourage users to "limit what unknown people can see," according to screenshots shared by Gleicher. The tool won't be available on Instagram, but the photo sharing app is pushing "pop-up alerts" that will explain ways to lock down those accounts as well.

Facebook is pushing privacy settings to users in Afghanistan.
Facebook

Gleicher added that the company is also temporarily hiding friends lists of accounts in the country, and he encouraged people with Facebook friends in Afghanistan to change privacy settings for their friends list as well. "We're working closely with our counterparts in industry, civil society and government to provide whatever support we can to help protect people," he said. "And we've stood up a special operations center to respond to new threats as they emerge."

Latest Moto Edge features improved camera and a faster processor

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 02:47 PM PDT

Last year, Motorola returned to the high-end phone market with the Edge Plus, a device that was a mostly middling affair. It later followed it up with the more affordable and compelling Edge. The company's newest phone, announced today, falls somewhere in between those two devices. It's not quite a flagship, but nor is it entirely a mid-range device either. Internally, the 2021 Edge features up to 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of internal storage and a Snapdragon 778G processor.

That's a step down from the Snapdragon 865 Motorola included with the Edge Plus, but what the 2021 Edge has going for it over its predecessors is a 6.8-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate panel. Both the 2020 Edge and Edge Plus were limited to 90Hz, which should make the new model feel more responsive even with its mid-range processor.

Motorola Edge
Motorola

Motorola also reworked the camera module on the 2021 Edge. The phone now features a primary 108-megapixel sensor that uses pixel-binning technology to improve performance in low-light situations. Supporting the main camera is an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera with a lens that features a 119-degree field of view. Rounding out the camera array is a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, there's a 32-megapixel shooter that can also take advantage of pixel binning.

The 2021 Edge comes with support for a variety of global LTE and sub-6GHz bands. It also comes with WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC connectivity, as well as C-band support, which will come in handy as Verizon (Engadget's parent company) and AT&T use the spectrum in their ongoing 5G build-outs. Speaking of Verizon, the carrier plans to offer a mmWave model later in the year.

Powering everything is a 5,000mAh battery Motorola says should provide up to two days of uptime. On the software front, the phone will ship with Android 11 and the company's My UX skin. Motorola plans to support the phone with two major platform updates and two years of bi-monthly security patches.

What you won't find on the 2021 Edge is support for wireless charging or robust waterproofing. It's only IP52-certified. Most high-end phones these days feature either IP67 or IP68 water resistance.

Like it did with the Edge, the company plans to sell the 2021 model at a $200 discount for a "limited time." Motorola hasn't said how long the phone would cost $500. Pre-orders for the unlocked model open on August 23rd, with general availability to follow on September 2nd. Verizon and Spectrum Wireless will start selling the phone at a later date.

Twitter's latest round of updates are about to hit your DMs

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 12:56 PM PDT

Twitter is introducing several tweaks to its direct messaging functionality, with the improvements set to roll out in the coming weeks. To start, you can now share the same tweet with up to 20 different accounts separately. As the company points out, that's an improvement that should lead to fewer accidental group chats. The feature is currently rolling out now to iOS and web users, with an expansion on Android to follow "soon."

On mobile, the company is also adding a quick-scroll button so you can quickly jump to the most recent message in a conversation when glancing over any past correspondence. As an iOS owner, you will also find Twitter has cleaned up timestamps by grouping messages by date. Additionally, if you long press on something someone sends you, there's a new reaction picker.

While none of the tweaks Twitter announced today are groundbreaking, they're handy all the same. They should also be less controversial than the font change the company pushed out last week.

Waymo's autonomous vehicles have clocked 20 million miles on public roads

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 12:39 PM PDT

Although other companies that are working on autonomous driving might get more attention, Waymo is still hard at work on the technology. The Alphabet subsidiary just provided an update on its Waymo Driver AI as well as more details about its self-driving tests.

An array of LiDAR, radar and cameras can track what's going on all around the vehicle in a variety of weather conditions, Waymo says. The system generates a 3D view of the vehicle's surroundings that humans would be able to understand. Along with other cars, the system can render pedestrians in addition to cyclists who narrowly pass by the vehicle.

The company says Waymo Driver can detect small objects and movements at a distance, such as a truck door in the middle of traffic and someone jumping out to deliver a package. It claims the AI can recognize steam emanating from utility holes and drive the vehicle through it, and understand the difference between a stop sign and its reflection.

Waymo has been testing its vehicles in San Francisco since 2009 and it ramped up its efforts in the city earlier this year. Its vehicles now clock north of 100,000 miles on SF's roads every week. Between narrow streets, drastic changes in elevation and intersections right at the top of hills, San Francisco isn't an easy city to drive in, which makes it an effective testing ground for AVs.

The company's vehicles have autonomously driven more than 20 million miles on public roads as well as 20 billion miles in simulations. That's a significant bank of data to draw from. Waymo says the AI can recognize and adapt to local driving behaviors, such as what lane to turn in at each intersection. According to the company, Waymo Driver can also mimic other vehicles' behavior, such as in SF, where people tend to drive a little slower while going up steep slopes.

Fully autonomous driving is likely several years away from going mainstream, but it seems Waymo is making significant strides toward that goal. Hopefully, Waymo Driver is getting more comfortable around safety cones.

Elsewhere, Waymo is beefing up its autonomous truck ambitions. On Wednesday, the company announced that it's building a trucking hub in Dallas-Fort Worth and partnering with Ryder to manage its fleet.

Meanwhile, Tesla's AI Day event takes place today. According to an invitation, the company will provide attendees with "an inside look at what's next for AI at Tesla beyond our vehicle fleet." CEO Elon Musk said there'll be a live stream of the event.

OnlyFans bans 'sexually explicit conduct,' but nudity is still okay

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 11:48 AM PDT

OnlyFans will ban users from uploading photos and videos "sexually explicit conduct" as of October 1st. Although the company will block depictions of sex acts, nudity is still allowed as long as creators stick by OnlyFans' Acceptable Use Policy. The changes follow pressure from payment providers and banking providers, as Bloomberg first reported.

"In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform, and the continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines," OnlyFans told Engadget in a statement. 

The company will share more details about the move in the coming days and it promised to "actively support and guide our creators through this change in content guidelines." Enforcing the new policy will likely be difficult, though all uploads to OnlyFans are checked by human moderators, according to the company. 

OnlyFans allows its more than 2 million creators to share exclusive content with their paid subscribers. Many of the top creators on the platform, which has 130 million users, sell nude or sexually explicit photos and videos. Many sex workers have relied on revenue from the site over the last few years, especially as the pandemic took hold and it was more difficult for them to earn a living elsewhere.

Patreon similarly allows creators to share explicit nude images with their paid subscribers. However, it doesn't allow "pornographic material or sexual services."

Earlier this year, OnlyFans quietly released a mobile and TV app that features fitness, cooking, comedy, music and other types of content from its creators, but zero nudity. This week, the company started a promotional push for OFTV, underscoring its move to a more sanitized future.

'Quake' 4K remaster is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 11:40 AM PDT

QuakeCon may have not happened last year due to the pandemic, but id Software found a way to more than make up for cancelation with the announcement of a Quake remaster. What's more, you can buy it today for $10 on PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. The studio overhauled the game to add support for widescreen resolutions up to 4K, dynamic lighting, anti-aliasing, depth of field and new models. The remaster comes almost two months after the game celebrated its 25th birthday on June 22nd. 

In addition to the original campaign, the remaster includes every expansion released for Quake. It also comes with an entirely new expansion created by Wolfenstein: The New Order and The New Colossus developer MachineGames called the Dimension of the Machine. You can play all the single-player content with up to three other players either online or over split-screen co-op. When it comes to multiplayer, you can play up to seven other players online, or up to three other players in the case of local split-screen. On that front, dedicated server support is included, as is crossplay between platforms.

Facebook took hours to remove livestream of Library of Congress bomb threat suspect

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 11:14 AM PDT

It took Facebook several hours to pull down a livestream from a man suspected of making a bomb threat at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. According to Politico, the unidentified man, who approached the Library of Congress in a pickup truck and told police he had a bomb in the car, streamed live on Facebook for multiple hours as police negotiated with him. The video "circulated widely" before Facebook finally took it down.

On Twitter, Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed the company had taken down the stream and the man's profile and said it is "continuing to investigate" the matter. The man later surrendered, US Capitol Police confirmed. 

It's not the first time Facebook has had to scramble to prevent a disturbing live stream from spreading. In 2019, the company raced to pull down more than a million copies of a live stream recorded by a mass shooter in New Zealand, in an effort that took multiple days. 

'Call of Duty: Vanguard' first look: Taking the series back to WWII

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 10:45 AM PDT

There's a scene in 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order where J, a character inspired by Jimi Hendrix, explains to the game's white protagonist, BJ Blazkowicz, why he's not fighting. After Blazkowicz talks back, J tells him: "You don't get it, do you? Before all this, before the Germans, before the war, back home, man, you were the Nazis."

What I love about that scene is the way it complicates the easy narrative we so often tell ourselves about the Second World War. The New Order understands World War II better than almost any other game inspired by the conflict. Nazism, then as now, was never an ideology that only existed in Hitler's Germany. And in internment camps across the US and Canada and cities like Dresden and Hiroshima, the Allies committed countless injustices of their own.

It's that scene my mind returned to as Sledgehammer Games revealed Call of Duty: Vanguard, the next entry in Activision's long-running first-person shooter series, during an online event last week. Like 2017's Call of Duty: WWII, the studio's previous project as lead developer on the franchise, Vanguard takes the series back to where it all started: the Second World War.

After talking about the studio's commitment to diversity and creating a safe space for all employees, essentially repeating the same company line Activision Blizzard executives have been saying ever since California filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the publisher, Sledgehammer studio head Aaron Halon introduced Vanguard director Josh Bridge and campaign director David Swenson. Bridge told us how the studio came out of Call of Duty: WWII feeling like it had only scratched the surface of the stories the conflict had to tell. "We see [Vanguard] as being rooted in but not beholden to history. There is no revisionist history here," he said, a bullet point on his Powerpoint presentation reiterating the statement.

Call of Duty: Vanguard
Sledgehammer Games / Activision

After showing the game's cinematic trailer and a snippet of gameplay, Swenson talked about the game's story. Like The New Order, Vanguard uses an alternate reality of the war to tell its story, but it appears a much less ambitious retelling on the surface. In a return to the way Infinity Ward did things when the series first started, Vanguard's campaign will feature four playable characters, each loosely based on a different historical person.

In Polina Petrova, Sledgehammer took inspiration from Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a Soviet sharpshooter who was known as Lady Death for her 309 confirmed kills, the most of any female sniper in history. Wade Jackson, one of the other characters, is based on Vernon L. Micheel, a US Navy pilot who bombed two Japanese aircraft carriers during the Battle of Midway. Then there's Lucas Riggs. He draws from Charles Upham, the only soldier in World War II to earn two Victoria Cross medals.

Finally, you have Arthur Kingsley. His inspiration is Sidney Cornell, a Black British paratrooper who earned a Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions in Normandy. To Sledgehammer's credit, the studio enlisted the help of science fiction writer Tochi Onyebuchi to write Kingsley's character and cast Chike Okonkwo, best known for his role as Will in The Birth of a Nation, to give him his voice.

Call of Duty: Vanguard
Sledgehammer Games / Activision

Initially, those four find themselves in different theaters of the war, but they're eventually brought together to take part in a fictional mission called Operation Phoenix. The Nazis, under the guidance of a character named Heinrich Freisinger, have hatched a plan to survive the end of the war and it's up to the newly formed special forces team of Petrova, Jackson, Riggs and Kingsley to stop them. Like the four protagonists, Freisinger has a historical counterpart. He's based on the infamous Gestapo chief Heinrich Müller.

Bridge said the studio sees the title as "a filmic blockbuster, with a contemporary lens on history." The throughline that connects both the story and multiplayer components of the game is how the Second World War saw the birth of the modern idea of the special forces. This is World War II reframed as an entry point into the expanded Call of Duty universe. I won't say that's unexpected, but after Sledgehammer tried to tell a more nuanced story about PTSD in CoD: WW2, I had hoped it would set its sights even higher.

At the reveal event, Sledgehammer spent far more time talking about Vanguard's story than letting the game speak for itself. Of the single-player campaign, the developer only showed a brief snippet of an early level that features Kingsley taking part in Operation Tonga, which saw British paratroopers land near the city of Caen during the Allied invasion of Normandy. If you've seen Band of Brothers, you already know exactly how this segment plays out.

Call of Duty: Vanguard
Sledgehammer Games / Activision

You jump out of a plane as part of a pre-scripted sequence in which you lose your rifle before landing on the ground. After a series of quick time events, your character finds himself in front of a field, an objective marker telling the player to make their way to a windmill in the distance. For part of the level, you have to sneak your way through enemy lines.

Other than an unexpected moment toward the end of the clip, nothing about what I saw struck me as something the franchise hasn't done before, but the execution was still compelling. True to the conditions Allied paratroopers found themselves in during the D-Day invasion, much of the mission takes place in suffocating fog and darkness. That gave the level more of a sense of atmosphere than your typical CoD mission. In particular, the use of lighting was intentional in a way I hadn't seen from the series in a while, the effect made more realistic by the work Sledgehammer and the other CoD studios did to update Modern Warfare's IW 8.0 engine.

What also struck me about this sequence was the stolen Kar98K Kingsley used to dispatch his Nazi pursuers. When he fired the bolt-action rifle, it let out a deafening blast and left enemies crumpled against the floor and walls. There was more physicality to the weapon than the assault rifles that usually dominate the CoD metagame. That "down the barrel" gameplay is something the studio said it spent a lot of the nearly four years since CoD: WW2 perfecting.

Call of Duty: Vanguard
Sledgehammer Games / Activision

It's hard to say if the rest of the single-player campaign adopts the more methodical pace to gunplay Sledgehammer showed off in the snippet I saw. However, I can state that multiplayer will feel familiar to current Black Ops Cold War and Warzone players. What you will find is that Sledgehammer designed the maps to feature more destructibility and interactive elements. A clip the studio shared showed off how you could shoot bookshelves, tables and boarded-up windows to open sightlines as a match progresses.

At launch, Vanguard will feature 20 multiplayer maps, 16 of which will support up to 12 players for six-on-six matches. Additionally, Sledgehammer is bringing Gunsmith back, a fan-favorite feature that allows you to customize your weapons with different attachments and ammo types. Naturally, Treyarch's Zombies mode is making a comeback, and it will connect to the lore established in Black Ops Cold War. Oh, and Raven Software is working on a Warzone map and update that will feature an all-new anti-cheat system. Sledgehammer promised to share more information about the multiplayer component of Vanguard, including details on a new mode called Champion Hill that the studio says will offer something new for players to experience, in the coming weeks.

That will give Call of Duty fans time to see if Vanguard is worth another trip to World War II before the game lands on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PS5 and PC via Battle.net on November 5th.

Facebook is testing Reels in News Feed and Groups in the US

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 10:25 AM PDT

Starting today, some Facebook users in the US will see Reels, Instagram's take on TikTok-like short-form videos, appear throughout the company's main app, the social media giant told The Verge. If Facebook enrolls you in the test, you'll see the clips appear nestled in the News Feed and within Groups. The experiment is an expansion to an existing one Facebook is running in Canada, India and Mexico.

In addition to watching Reels on the platform, you can record them directly from the Facebook app. Moreover, much like with Stories, Instagram users can cross-post the clips to Facebook. The company told The Verge the test is in part a response to the popularity of the format, with interest in the clips growing "especially quickly."

Whatever you think of them, it's safe to say short-form videos are here to stay, and Facebook isn't the only company intent on integrating the format into its mainline app. Just last month, YouTube rolled out tools for creating Shorts to users in 100 countries and started paying out creators from the $100 million fund it created to support the format.

'NHL 22' finally moves the series to EA's Frostbite engine

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 10:20 AM PDT

EA Sports' NHL series is finally making the switch to Frostbite, several years after FIFA and Madden NFL moved to the engine. As such, NHL 22 marks the "biggest leap forward" for the franchise in terms of gameplay and graphics, according to EA.

Developer EA Vancouver has seemingly made every stitch of player uniforms visible via high-res graphics. Player models have been overhauled as well. EA says Frostbite enables enhanced spatial awareness, with players having upgraded eye animations and the ability to track and react to what's going on around them. The publisher is promising "new physically accurate stick interactions" as well.

A system called Superstar X-Factors brings unique moves to some of the more high-profile hockey pros with abilities based on their real-world traits. For instance, cover star and Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews' Shock and Awe move allows you to let fly with "exciting shots," while Andrei Vasilevskiy's Contortionist ability plays into the Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender's body-twisting flair to let him pull off impressive saves. Superstar X-Factors will feature in the Franchise Mode, as well as the Be A Pro, Hockey Ultimate Team and World of Chel modes.

NHL 22 is the first game in the series to have dedicated PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions. It's also coming to PS4 and Xbox One, but the standard edition doesn't include a free upgrade to the PS5/Series X/S versions through EA's Dual Entitlement system.

For that, you'll need to opt for the X-Factor edition, which includes extra Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) packs and other bonuses, as well as three days of early access. If you buy the NHL 22 X-Factor edition for PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, you'll also have access to the respective previous-gen versions. However, the only game progress you can move from previous-gen consoles to PS5 or Xbox Series X/S is your HUT team, and it's a one-time content migration. 

The FIFA and Madden NFL games moved to Frostbite in 2016 and 2017 respectively, so NHL is lagging behind a bit. That said, Frostbite was primarily designed for Battlefield and other first-person shooters. Some EA studios, such as BioWare, have found the engine difficult to work with and had to build some of the tools they needed from scratch. That might go some way toward explaining why it took so long to move the NHL franchise over to Frostbite.

NHL 22 will be released on October 15th.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 review: Samsung's best foldable yet is still a tough sell

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 10:00 AM PDT

In many ways, the Galaxy Z Flip 3should be the first foldable for a mainstream audience. It's basically a regular smartphone you can fold in half and it could appeal to the swaths of people who miss the satisfying snap of a flip phone. Plus, with a price drop, the new Flip now costs about the same as an iPhone or Galaxy S flagship. Samsung's latest foldable also features a larger external display than its predecessor, making it more useful when closed, and has water resistance for some peace of mind. It's even got a faster screen than Apple and Google offer and nifty software that makes better use of the screen when you prop it up on a surface. But the question remains, even at a more reasonable $1,000, is the Flip 3 good enough to usher foldables into the mainstream or are they still a gimmick?

Design and durability

One of the most important factors in determining if the Flip 3 is ready for daily use is durability. Samsung used stronger aluminum for the Flip 3's frame, refined its hinge and made the screen tougher with a new flexible PET protector. I can't tell exactly how much more durable the Flip 3 is compared to its predecessor, but I have been taking more risks with it. In fact, I consider my placing the Flip 3 (and the Fold 3, for that matter) into my bag along with my keys, laptop and DSLR the bravest thing I've ever done during a review.

I'm mostly worried because of a bad experience when I took the original Z Flip out for a day. It vibrated off a table and cracked its corner. I've been fairly careful with the Flip 3, but I've avoided babying it, and so far it's survived being tossed into a bag with various sharp objects. While it's still prone to sliding around due to its glossy glass exterior, it's yet to fall off anything. I've placed it on treadmills, ellipticals, window ledges and restaurant tables and I don't want to jinx it but: so far my Flip 3 is scratch-free.

Does that mean it'll remain pristine a week, a month or even a year from now? Probably not. But as someone who's cracked her fair share of phone screens, I feel like the Flip 3 is about as sturdy as most glass-covered flagships.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 fully open, held vertically in a hand with its screen facing the camera.
David Imel for Engadget

That is, with one exception: Its flexible internal screen is still more likely to break than others, if for no reason other than you'll invariably end up pushing into some part of it to close the device. I've yet to damage the Flip 3's screen, and I've been careful not to push my thumb into the middle of the panel to close the phone, but I've been shutting it with some force. Whether the durability is indeed improved is something that's hard to tell without months of testing or deliberately trying to damage the device, so I might have to revisit this after some time.

Speaking of closing the phone: Like its predecessor, the Flip 3 isn't easy to shut with one hand. It can be done, but the hinge is stiff and provides enough resistance to let it stay open at various angles. Unless you have Dwayne Johnson's hands, you'll probably need some leverage to open or close the Flip 3.

Oh and thanks to the IPX8 water resistance, I was a lot less worried about leaving the Flip next to my sink when I washed my face and dripped all over it while reaching for the soap.

Besides improved durability and a larger external screen, not much has changed between the new Flip and the last generation. They weigh the same 183 grams (6.45 ounces) and the Flip 3 is a hair thicker. Samsung's also offering a few new color options, including my two favorites: green and lavender. My review unit is a boring cream/off-white, though.

Phones in the same size and price range like the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Galaxy S21+ are slightly heavier and thicker, but not by much. Of course, these devices are dust-resistant and sport triple cameras, while the Flip has just two. The conventional flagships are also not as narrow. But aside from the aspect ratio, the Flip 3 feels very much like a regular smartphone when unfolded. Bonus: It's more compact when folded in half, which helps it fit into most of my pockets without peeking out. It actually almost reminds me of a pager when closed. Remember those?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 folded, with its Cover Display showing a cartoon animal and the time.

A bigger, more useful Cover Display

The greatest difference between the Flip 3 and a typical smartphone is that you can close it, which is not only a satisfying means of putting your phone away, but also introduces a new way to interact with the device. The 1.9-inch external screen is four times larger than the previous model, and can show up to four lines of notifications at once. There are currently six widgets available for this window, which Samsung calls the Cover Display. To interact with this panel, you'll have to first double tap on it, then swipe vertically or horizontally to see your notifications or widgets respectively.

This was a little confusing initially, as I didn't know I needed to tap the screen before swiping. But after figuring it out, I've come to appreciate it because it prevents accidentally dismissing notifications and skipping songs on Spotify. That's pretty helpful since I often unintentionally touch the Cover Display when closing the phone or picking it up.

Most of the time, I leave the Flip 3 closed until I need to reply to a message or when I start browsing my feeds. It's certainly a lot less distracting to be able to put my phone aside and not have a long list of notifications that I can see from a distance. I initially set all six widgets to appear on my Cover Display, so scrolling sideways would bring up the weather, media controls, Samsung Pay, Health, Calendar and so on.

While I appreciated having all those options, after a while it became clear three widgets is plenty — the endless swiping got tiring eventually. The software is also a little buggy at the moment. The alarms widget, for example, will randomly abandon its countdown if you pause and resume it.

A hand holding the closed Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 with its Cover Display facing the camera.
David Imel for Engadget

Another feature that sounds great in theory is using your Cover Display as a viewfinder. With the larger panel, you'll have more room to frame up your selfies on the Flip 3 with the screen closed. I used it to snap a picture with three staff members of my building and while we were able to squeeze everyone in, the novelty wore off quickly.

The only time I can see preferring the outside screen as a viewfinder is if you need the sharper or wider rear cameras or when you're really in a hurry and can't spare the one or two seconds it takes to open the phone. I like that Samsung gives us this option, but even a selfie-obsessed person like me was never in that much of a rush to snap a portrait. Plus, the photos taken this way end up in a strange squarish crop, while those snapped using the main screen as a viewfinder are taller or wider.

Internal screen and Flex mode

When you're back on the main screen, aspect ratio is still somewhat of an issue. The Flip 3's 6.7-inch display runs at 2,640 x 1,080, which comes up to an uncommon 22:9 format. This didn't cause too many problems — most apps fit nicely on the screen — but every now and then something will overflow. The pop-up dialogs in Settlers of Catan, for example, disappear into the edges of the display and I can barely tap the buttons I need to move on.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 held horizontally between two hands, with the screen showing the Settlers of Catan app with
David Imel for Engadget

Fortunately, I didn't encounter this on most of my frequently used apps, but for now Samsung doesn't have a workaround to help ensure you can see everything on the Flex.

That's my main issue with the Flip 3's internal screen, which is otherwise a lovely canvas for browsing Instagram and YouTube thanks to its flexible AMOLED panel and 120Hz refresh rate. Images were vibrant with deep blacks and high contrast, and the display never stuttered when I scrolled my feeds in a frenzy. Oh I also didn't mind the crease in the middle — yes it's noticeable and does cause some distortion, but it doesn't get in the way of readability. I also like how it felt beneath my thumb as I scrolled past it. It's like stroking a soft, naked tendon, which is a lot better than it sounds.

Another update that makes the Flip 3 a better multimedia device than before are its stereo speakers. Now, when you hold it up to watch a video, you'll hear its audio from both ends. It's a little too easy to cover the bottom speaker with your hand when holding the phone horizontally, though.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 folded to prop itself up on a table, with the top half of its screen showing a YouTube video and the bottom showing the title, likes, dislikes, channel, top comment and suggested videos.
David Imel for Engadget

Something else the Flip offers that regular smartphones don't is a Flex mode that kicks in when you half-fold the device. This only works on some apps, like Gallery, Camera and YouTube, where the screen is split in half to show your photo, viewfinder or video on top and navigation, controls or more info at the bottom. When you set the Flip 3 up on a table in Flex mode, you can watch your show as if it were full screen on the top half, while scrolling comments or suggested videos below.

I thought I'd only find Flex mode useful with the Flip 3 sitting on a table (propped up like it has its own kickstand), but it actually was more helpful in enabling one-handed use. Because the screen is so tall, some elements are out of my thumb's reach. Flex mode makes scrolling pictures in my gallery or snapping a picture much easier with one hand. So far, though, only a handful of apps support this, so Samsung will need to work harder to make more of them compatible.

Cameras

The Flip 3's dual 12-megapixel cameras hold their own against the likes of the Pixel 5 and iPhone 12 Pro. While Samsung, Apple and Google all have minor differences in the color temperature of their photos, they deliver similar quality and clarity in most situations. The Flip 3's picture of a yummy bowl of noodles was just as bright and vibrant as those taken with the Pixel and iPhone, though it's a little soft and failed to capture some detail on the ceramic surface.

A close up of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3's Cover Display and dual 12-megapixel cameras next to it.
David Imel for Engadget

Photos the Flip 3 shot at night are also similar to those from the competition — you'd need to really scrutinize minor exposure and noise differences to tell them apart. The pictures I snapped of a dog park and the city skyline at night all came out bright and colorful, though Google delivered a better closeup of the New York City nightscape thanks to its superior processing software.

The selfies captured by the Flip 3's 10-megapixel camera were also bright and sharp. And, based on an informal poll on my Instagram, the majority of my followers preferred a portrait shot by the Flip 3 to the Pixel 5.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 unfolded in someone's hand, with its rear facing the camera

Living the foldable life: In use and battery

With a Snapdragon 888 processor and 8GB of RAM, the Flip 3 performed smoothly during my testing. I haven't encountered many delays when using the main screen to message my friends, post to Twitter and browse websites. It didn't let up even as I recorded the screen while using the camera to capture footage of my friends trying to perform TikTok dances, either.

Occasionally, I felt like websites were scrolling more slowly than I was used to, and there are still some small software bugs (like the Cover Display's alarm widget) that make the Flip 3 feel like it needs a bit more polish. But aside from these minor gripes and the fact that you can fold it, this phone feels very similar to its Samsung siblings.

That is, until we consider battery life. The Flip 3 never made it through a full day before needing a charge, and that runtime dropped when I enabled the Always On Display for the outer screen. On our video rundown test, the Flip 3 only clocked 11 hours and 27 minutes, which is shorter than most flagships I've tested recently. The S21's 4,000mAh cell typically stuck around for a day and a half, while the latest Pixels and iPhones easily outlast the Flip 3. Despite offering a larger Cover Display and a higher refresh rate on its main panel, the Flip 3's 3,300mAh battery is the same size as its predecessor, which might explain its disappointing endurance.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 folded and propped up in tent mode on a table.
David Imel for Engadget

Wrap-up

After spending some time with the Flip 3 in the real world, I've come to realize a few things: I like being able to fold a phone, put it away and focus on work or living in the moment. But I can also turn a regular phone face down to do that. I enjoy the nostalgia and novelty of closing the Flip 3 when I'm mad at a caller or an app, too.

In general, the satisfaction and space savings from being able to fold a phone in half are not worth paying a premium for. The good news is that with the Flip 3, Samsung isn't charging a hefty premium or making many compromises. Battery life is an unfortunate victim of the Flip 3's larger external screen, but it's at least not so short that you'll need to charge it twice a day.

Ultimately, the Flip 3 is proof that Samsung can deliver a good phone with a foldable display at a relatively reasonable price. It's also a satisfying upgrade from its predecessor, thanks to its water resistance and bigger outside screen. The most important question now is: Who should buy this? If you pride yourself on being an early adopter and want to get on the foldables bandwagon before they become more common, that might be you. The Flip 3 is a device capable of being a daily driver for those nostalgic or curious enough to buy one. But for a more mainstream audience, there simply aren't enough benefits yet. 

The Z Flip 3 is a satisfying upgrade from the original, thanks to water resistance and a larger, more useful Cover Display. Its $1,000 starting price puts it in the same class as flagships from Apple, Google and Samsung itself, too. While it mostly behaves like a regular modern smartphone that you can fold in half, the Flip 3 is held back by battery life and potential durability issues.

Key specs

Processor: Snapdragon 888 or 5nm 64-bit octa-core processor (2.84Ghz + 2.4GHz + 1.8GHz)

RAM / Storage: 8GB with 128/256GB storage

MicroSD card support: None

Main display: 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED Infinity Flex Display

Main display resolution: 2,640 x 1,080 (22:9)

External display: 1.9-inch Super AMOLED

External display resolution: 260 x 512

Rear (or external) cameras: 12MP f/1.8 wide-angle camera with OIS and 78-degree FOV, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera (123-degree FOV)

Front (or inside) camera: 10MP f/2.4 camera (80-degree FOV)

Operating system: Android 11 with One UI

Battery: 3,300mAh

Charging: USB-C with fast wired charging at 15W (QC2.0 and AFC) and fast wireless charging at 10W (WPC and PMA). Reverse wireless charging at 4.5W (WPC Qi).

Dimensions: 72.2 x 166.0 x 6.9mm (unfolded); 72.2 x 86.4 x 17.1mm (Hinge) - 15.9mm (Sagging) (folded)

Weight: 183 grams

Fingerprint sensor: Yes, on power button.

Waterproofing: IPX8

NFC: Yes

Headphone jack: No

Photos by David Imel (@DurvidImel)

FTC files amended antitrust complaint against Facebook

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 09:12 AM PDT

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed new antitrust charges against Facebook. The amended complaint comes after a federal judge threw out the agency's initial suit back in June. In dismissing the case, Judge James Boasberg said the FTC had failed to provide enough evidence Facebook had a monopoly in the social media market. Boasberg gave the FTC 30 days to amend its case, later extending that deadline to August 19th.   

The new complaint is approximately two dozen pages longer than the original but put forwards many of the same core arguments. Specifically, the FTC alleges Facebook used the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp in 2012 and 2014 to secure its position in the market. The agency says the amended complaint includes additional data and evidence to support its claims that Facebook is a monopolist.  

"Facebook has maintained its monopoly position in significant part by pursuing Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg's strategy, expressed in 2008: 'it is better to buy than compete,'" the FTC says in the document. "True to that maxim, Facebook has systematically tracked potential rivals and acquired companies that it viewed as serious competitive threats."

In July, the company, following the lead of Amazon, petitioned the FTC to recuse Commissioner Lina Khan from discussions on whether or not the regulator should push forward with another antitrust case against the company. In a press release, the FTC said the agency's "Office of General Counsel carefully reviewed Facebook's petition to recuse Chair Lina M. Khan. As the case will be prosecuted before a federal judge, the appropriate constitutional due process protections will be provided to the company. The Office of the Secretary has dismissed the petition."

"It is unfortunate that despite the court's dismissal of the complaint and conclusion that it lacked the basis for a claim, the FTC has chosen to continue this meritless lawsuit," Facebook said after it had a chance to review the complaint. "The FTC's claims are an effort to rewrite antitrust laws and upend settled expectations of merger review, declaring to the business community that no sale is ever final." The company has until October 4th to respond to the suit officially.  

Update 3:21PM ET: Added comment from Facebook.  

Apple's latest 'Foundation' trailer features an enormous space elevator

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 08:43 AM PDT

Ahead of the show's Apple TV+ premiere on September 24th, Apple has offered another look at its latest sci-fi saga, Foundation. The latest trailer doesn't reveal too much about the story, but it has some impressive visuals. 

The clip features a elevator that, according to showrunner David S. Goyer, stretches around 26 miles into space. There's also a floating visualization of a supercomputer that takes design cues from a Möbius strip. Goyer told IGN that he challenged his production team to find a look that didn't remind viewers of Star Wars or Star Trek, perhaps the two biggest linchpins of science fiction. In any case, it's clear Apple hasn't skimped on the budget.

The show seems to be much more about humanity more than eye-popping visual effects, though. Based on a series of Isaac Asimov novels, Foundation centers around a group of exiles who try to protect the future of civilization after leader Dr. Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) uses data to predict the fall of the Galactic Empire. What's left of the Empire isn't too thrilled about that, and it tries to suppress Seldon's group.

The story plays out over the course of a millennium. The first season will run for 10 episodes, with the first two episodes dropping at the same time and the remainder hitting Apple TV+ on a weekly basis.

Apple TV+ has more sci-fi projects on the way. Invasion, oddly enough, is a series about an alien invasion. It debuts on October 22nd. A couple of weeks later, on November 5th, Apple will release Finch, a movie starring Tom Hanks as an inventor who hits the road with his dog and a robot. A third season of For All Mankind is also in the works.

Microsoft announces a $60 wired Xbox Stereo Headset

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 07:14 AM PDT

Microsoft has unveiled a wired Xbox Stereo Headset. At $60, it's positioned as an entry-level model, compared with the $100 Wireless Headset that emerged earlier this year and Designed for Xbox options from partners including Razer and Bang & Olufsen.

The new model shares some features with the Wireless Headset, including a similar design, a volume dial on the right earcup and a microphone mute switch. Microsoft says the device has "high-quality ear cushions" and "clear microphone performance."

Xbox Stereo Headset
Microsoft

The headband is adjustable and, as for sound quality, Microsoft is promising "clean mid and high frequency performance with strong bass." There's also support for spatial audio tech, such as Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos and DTS Headphone:X.

The headset plugs into the Xbox controller through a 3.5mm cable. As such, you can use the headset with any other device that has a 3.5mm jack. You can also use an adaptor to connect it to phones or tablets that don't have a dedicated headphone jack.

Pre-orders are now open for the Xbox Stereo Headset through the Microsoft Store. You'll be able to buy it from other retailers as well. The headset will ship on September 21st.

Amazon's one-day sale knocks up to 35 percent off Lexar microSD cards

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 06:30 AM PDT

Photographers, videographers, gamers and the like know the sinking feeling of finding out that the SD card or SSD you've been using is all filled up. Having an extra storage device ready to go when this happens can save you a lot of stress, but they can be expensive — especially those with large capacities. That's why we recommend waiting, if you're able, for a sale like the one Amazon has today only on Lexar storage gear to stock up on extra cards and drives.

Shop Lexar one-day sale at Amazon

Of note in the sale is the Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC card in 128GB, which is down to $116 — not a record low, but not far off either. It's a high-speed SD card that supports read transfer speeds up to 300MB/s and can capture high-res images and 4K video. It's also pretty durable with an IPX7 waterproof rating as well as a temperature-, shock- and vibration-proof design.

Those that want to beef up their Nintendo Switch with extra space should check out the Lexar Play microSD cards on sale: you can get 256GB for $25, 512GB for $55 or a whopping 1TB card for $128. The latter is 49 percent off and a record-low, making it a good option for Switch diehards anticipating all of the new games coming out over the next few months.

A couple of internal SSDs are included in this sale, too. Lexar's 1TB NM620 drive is down to an all-time low of $96, while the Lexar NQ100 SSD in 240GB is on sale for $27. The former is a PCIe Gen3x4 drive best suited for power-users and gamers thanks to its read speeds up to 3,300MB/s and write speeds up to 3,000MB/s. The latter is a decent drive to get if you're simply looking to add more space to your desktop or laptop on the cheap — it's a 2.5-inch SATA III SSD with read speeds up to 550MB/s and a shock-resistant design.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Dell’s new monitor lineup includes a $350 portable second screen

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 06:00 AM PDT

Dell is back with a variety of new monitors that range from its first 14-inch portable to a trio of 27-inch displays. At its thinnest, the former is just 4.95mm thick — making it slimmer than an iPad Air, but slightly heavier at 1.3 pounds. The portable display is essentially a second screen that you can slot in your bag or purse when you leave your home office to go to work. In terms of design, the $350 monitor is attached to a tilt stand that beefs up its overall dimensions and weight. But, it also allows you to bend the display up to 90 degrees. It will be available worldwide on August 31st.

Dell
Dell

The 27-inch monitors include a 4K model with a 60Hz refresh rate that is the priciest of the lot at $620. There's also AMD FreeSync for tear-free, low-latency gaming. Like several of the other newcomers, the S2722QC comes with a USB-C port that can receive a display and data signal plus deliver enough power (up to 65W) to charge your laptop. 

Dell
Dell

If you're on a tighter budget, there's also a $500 27-inch display dubbed the S2722DC, which essentially swaps 4K for QHD visuals with a higher 75Hz refresh rate. Both screens arrive August 19th. For $100 more, you can grab some neat extras for video calls on the 27-inch S2722DZ, including a pop-up 5-megapixel camera, noise-cancelling mics and dual 5W speakers. If you don't mind settling with full HD instead of QHD, then the 24-inch S2422HZ offers similar specs for $440. The two displays will come to North America first on September 7th followed by the rest of the world from October 12th.

Dell
Dell

Cricket customers will get free HBO Max, if they don't mind ads

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 06:00 AM PDT

You won't have to spring for AT&T's regular phone service if you want HBO Max tacked on to your plan — provided you're wiling to make some sacrifices. The carrier's Cricket Wireless brand has revealed that it will provide free HBO Max service to customers using its $60 per month Unlimited plan if they're willing to live with the ad-supported tier. This isn't as sweet as what you'll get at AT&T proper, but it will give you a chance to catch up on shows without pricier wireless service or a separate Max subscription.

The offer will be available to both new and current customers starting on August 20th. We've asked if Cricket customers can pay extra for ad-free HBO Max.

It's a logical move for AT&T. The telecom will likely still own WarnerMedia until 2022, and this gives it a chance to boost both Cricket and HBO Max until that split happens. It could help the company maintain or increase plan prices, too. Nonetheless, you might appreciate this if you're looking to save money. Prepaid phone customers in the US seldom get the no-extra-charge services and other perks that increasingly come with conventional (postpaid) plans — this could save you money if you've been looking for something to watch.

GM teams with AT&T to bring 5G to its vehicles in 2023

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 06:00 AM PDT

General Motors and AT&T are expanding their partnership with plans to bring 5G to cars within the next few years. Some model year 2024 vehicles, which should start arriving in 2023, will be the first GM models equipped with 5G. Among GM's 2024 models is the electric Hummer SUV. GM vehicles from model year 2019 and later with 4G LTE capabilities will have faster connection speeds via the 5G network too.

The companies are building out a "high-performance 5G core network" with upgraded coverage centered on roadways. GM and AT&T claim the network will enable faster software updates and music and video downloads, as well as more responsive navigation and voice services.

Improved connectivity should benefit autonomous vehicles as well. GM says the 5G network will "provide a strong foundation" for its semi-autonomous Super Cruise tech along with its Vehicle Intelligence Platform. 

Bringing 5G connectivity to cars at a broad level was always on the cards. It'll be a while yet before there's widespread network coverage on highways and in rural areas, so adding 5G to vehicles starting in model year 2024 seems a reasonable timeline. AT&T says its 5G network is currently available in 14,000 cities and towns across the US.

Amazon is reportedly planning to open mini department stores

Posted: 19 Aug 2021 05:29 AM PDT

Amazon is preparing to increase its brick and mortar footprint in a big way. The retailer plans to open several large physical locations in the US akin to department stores, according to anonymous sources cited by The Wall Street Journal. The new stores — the first of which will come to Ohio and California — will sell clothing, household items and electronics from "top consumer brands." Obviously, shoppers can also expect to run into Amazon's own-brand products, too.

While the sites are tipped to be around the third of the size of a typical department store at 30,000 square feet, they'll still be much larger than Amazon's other physical locations. The move sees the company expanding into an area it originally disrupted as it grew into an all-in-one online shopping destination. 

With their sales already plummeting, the pandemic sealed the fate of several high-profile department stores. The likes of J.C. Penney and Neiman Marcus Group have filed for bankruptcy along with other big names in the sector. Though some were thrown a lifeline when they managed to attract new owners. 

Amazon, on the other hand, has seen its fortunes skyrocket during the pandemic as it profited from an increasing shift toward e-commerce. Its booming business even helping to bankroll founder Jeff Bezos' trip into space.

Amazon's move into physical retail predates the virus, however. The company started with brick and mortar bookstores back in 2015, later acquiring Whole Foods for $13.4 billion in 2017. More recently, it opened cashierless Amazon Go stores in the US and UK. Not to mention its highly-curated Amazon 4-star stores and Amazon Pop-Ups inside malls.

The larger stores are apparently viewed as a way of letting shoppers try before they buy, which is particularly useful for things like apparel. That's an area where Amazon has historically struggled. As the WSJ notes, the only high-fashion label on its online store is Oscar de la Renta. It also lost a major seller in Nike in 2019, which decided to go it alone in e-commerce — a move that has paid off for the sneaker company.

Amazon's department stores would also allow it to showcase its range of electronics, from its Fire TVs and tablets to Echo speakers to its Ring home security range, and even its Luna cloud gaming service. Notably, big box retailers have shown that emboldened shoppers are returning to stores. Both Walmart and Target recently smashed estimates in their respective second quarters as sales rose across most categories.
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