The Morning After: Monday, November 2017
Breakfast of champions.
Welcome to your Monday morning. We jumped into the UFC's high-tech battle against fighter injury, how the Pixel 2 delivers silky smooth video and Russia's Twitter influence beyond US politics. And there's a few other things, naturally.
Google explains the Pixel 2's super-stable video recording
Google's Pixel 2 phones have a clever trick up their sleeve when recording video: they can use both electronic and optical image stabilization, delivering largely jitter-free clips even if you're walking down the street. Google uses some of its machine learning know-how to incorporate both anti-shake technologies -- most phones can only use one or the other, and rarely combine the two.
The Pixel 2 XL has another screen issue
Complaints with Google's Pixel 2 XL display won't stop. While some users are experiencing premature screen burn-in and seeing a bluish tint, others are apparently having trouble with its responsiveness. Comments posted on the Pixel 2 community website have revealed that some units are having issues getting their phones to register touches near the edges of the screen.
Russian Twitter accounts tried to influence the UK's EU departure
Russia's attempt to influence Western politics through Twitter certainly wasn't limited to the 2016 American elections. Findings like this could be crucial to an official investigation into Russian influence over Brexit -- and also underscore how easy it can be to mount a modern propaganda campaign. An international audience can now be targeted with minimal effort.
The UFC's big bet to keep fighters fighting
MMA's authentic brutality has long been both a key selling point and criticism. Damage to the body is a byproduct of every sport, but in MMA, harming your opponent is the entire point. When athletes pull out of one of the UFC's 500 or so annual fights, it's not enough for the promoter to simply find a willing replacement. Fight cards are both soap opera and athletic contest: A fight that captures the fan's imagination can mean the difference between a million viewers paying for the live action versus 100,000.
The issue has plagued MMA for years. Can its biggest promoter keep athletes fit enough to maintain bankable stars with lengthy careers and regular fights? To find an answer, the UFC is turning to technology.
