The Morning After: Drone attacks and self-lacing Nikes
And a hint at Netflix's plans for 'Black Mirror.'
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
This morning, we explain what a terrible year cryptocurrency had -- I hope you didn't remortgage your house. Meanwhile, Xbox seems ready to have a strong 2019, and drones plunge one of the UK's biggest airports into chaos.
Xbox is poised to dominate the next console generation
While the Switch and PS4 are riding high in this console cycle, Microsoft is better positioned than any other video-game company to take control of the coming one, which is expected to kick off in 2020.
Nike's first self-lacing basketball shoes go on sale in 2019 for $350
On Nike's quarterly earnings call, executives revealed plans for an 'Adaptive' basketball shoe that will cost around $350. That's about $400 cheaper than last year's HyperAdapt trainers, but more expensive than the Jordan XXXIII with its strap the wearer adjusts on their own. The basketball HyperAdapt with an automated "perfect fit" should arrive in the spring.
Marlboro owner invests $12.8 billion in e-cigarette maker Juul
Tobacco giant Altria (which owns Marlboro and Virginia Slims) has bought a 35 percent stake in Juul for $12.8 billion. This puts the value of the e-cigarette company at $38 billion, more than double its value since mid-2018. Altria will place Juul's products next to its cigarettes on retail shelves. Many Juul employees were said to be upset when rumors of the investment emerged, believing it runs contrary to the company's mission -- to help smokers ditch traditional cigarettes. However, Juul is reportedly paying out $2 billion to its 1,500 workers. With an average payout of $1.3 million that is likely to keep much of the company happy in the interim.
Drones cause holiday chaos at one of London's busiest airports
Drones spotted over the UK's second-busiest airport halted flights for hours. Flights at London's Gatwick airport couldn't can't take off or land, and airport authorities said that 110,000 passengers on 760 flights were scheduled to fly. Police said there are no signs that the drone incident is terror related, but added that the activity is suspicious. "We are still getting sightings of the drone in and around the airfield," said the official in charge of the investigation, Justin Burtenshaw.
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Hey, Galaxy Note 9 owners: We want to hear from you
When we tested the latest Galaxy Note, we found it "lived up to its lofty expectations" with a large, brilliant AMOLED screen, significantly improved S Pen functionalities and an improved battery life that lasted around two days, on average. But that was our experience -- now we want to hear yours. A few of you have already submitted some thoughtful reviews of the Note 9 and have given the handset some outstanding scores, and we'd like to hear from even more real-world users.
Netflix teases 'Black Mirror' movie release
Weeks after Netflix posted (and promptly deleted) a mention of a Black Mirror movie, the service has listed Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. The odd five-hour, 12-minute running time (assuming it's accurate) has led some to suspect that this is the rumored choose-your-own-adventure show.
The deleted Netflix schedule had the Bandersnatch movie arriving on December 28th. Guess we'll wait and see.
But wait, there's more...
ILO tidies up your dab sessions with self-contained ceramic pellets
Bitcoin's terrible 2018 doesn't bode well for the future of crypto
LG's Laser 4K projector beams a 120-inch picture from seven inches away
Google's 'Game of the Year' reminds you 2018 wasn't complete trash
Telltale's 'The Walking Dead' conclusion is coming to the Epic Games Store
DOJ charges two Chinese nationals with 'extensive' hacking campaign
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