The Morning After: DJI's palm-sized drone can fly for 30 minutes
And the Nintendo Switch is still selling.
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
Happy Halloween! LG put a dual-screen costume on its latest flagship phone, and the Nintendo Switch is battling the ghost of the SNES -- we'll explain. Also, we have everything you need to know about the TeamTrees project and a review of the new Amazon Echo.
Foldable phones aren't quite ready for primetime, so LG did the next best thing: It added a case with a second screen. The only problem is that this doesn't quite work either. As Chris Velazco explains, "the G8X and its second screen generally act like two smartphones attached at the proverbial hip." Still, its funky setup isn't so bad that it's completely useless, and if you find a good deal on one it might be worth a try.
Nintendo Switch sales should pass the SNES next quarter
Nintendo sold 4.8 million Switch consoles last quarter, bringing lifetime sales to 41.67 million. That's a 50 percent increase on the 3.19 million Switch consoles sold during the same period last year and includes nearly two million units of the new Switch Lite sold in just the last ten days of the reporting period. The company also told investors that its mobile efforts are currently focused its existing mobile apps, like Dr. Mario and Mario Kart Tour, as opposed to releasing new ones in the next year.
Ford's Sync 4 system will add wireless CarPlay and Android Auto support
When Sync 4 arrives in select Ford vehicles starting in 2020, it'll include wireless support for both CarPlay and Android Auto. Some Sync 4 vehicles will include wireless charging, so you'll be able to take one less cable with you when you go for a drive in one of the company's new cars. The interface is also tuned for multitasking and has support for larger 15-inch screens.
Ford's other announcement is that, around the same time, it will have new models ready to receive over-the-air updates.
The 'Death Stranding' launch trailer is here, and it's eight minutes long
Sony has shared an eight-minute launch trailer for Hideo Kojima's next opus. Don't go into the trailer with the expectation to get a better sense of the game's story; more likely, you'll come out the other side with more questions than answers. It wouldn't be a Kojima game otherwise.
Amazon Echo review (2019): Low-priced, but not low-end
The latest Echo does just about everything right: It sounds great, it's pretty cheap at $99 and it handles voice commands like a charm.
Why did Elon Musk just buy a million trees?
Last night, Elon Musk bought a million trees for a cool $1 million, and it wasn't some mad luxury purchase you might expect. Instead, it's all based on the power of a handful of YouTubers starting a project that'll do a little bit to combat climate change. TeamTrees is a project aimed at raising $20 million by the end of 2019 to bankroll the planting of 20 million new trees by the end of 2022. Spearheading TeamTrees is Jimmy Donaldson. Better known online as MrBeast, Donaldson made a name for himself doing stunts, while also uploading philanthropic antics, using money he's made from his channel.
DJI's palm-sized Mavic Mini can fly for up to 30 minutes
This foldable Mavic Mini weighs in at just 249 grams and comes with a bunch of features designed to make drone flying and aerial photography fun and accessible to everyone, without skimping on quality. The standard Mavic Mini package with remote controller, one battery, extra propellers and all necessary tools and wires is available for pre-order for $399 and will start shipping on November 11th.
Twitter will put a stop to political ads on November 22nd
Twitter has wrestled with the issue of questionable political ads and decided just to get rid of them entirely. Jack Dorsey announced that the social network is stopping all political ads outside of non-partisan exceptions (such as voter registration), whether they come from candidates or interest groups. It'll provide the finished policy on November 15th and will start enforcing it on November 22nd.
Dorsey said the decision stemmed from both principles and practical realities. A political message on Twitter should earn its reach when people follow or share accounts and "should not be compromised by money," the CEO said. Meanwhile, over at Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg is staying the course.
But wait, there's more...
Sonos offers its early adopters a 30 percent trade-in offer on new speakers
Apple Card users will be able to get zero-percent financing for iPhone purchases
Juul stands accused of shipping a million contaminated vape pods
Australia wants to verify porn users by scanning their faces
HBO Max nets 'South Park' exclusivity for a reported $500 million
Netflix renews 'Another Life' for a second season despite lousy reviews
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