Looks like embattled FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried won’t be testifying before Congress after all. The Bahamas Attorney General’s Office announced Monday that Bankman-Fried has been arrested and is likely to be extradited in short measure back to the US to stand trial. The AG’s office noted that his arrest came after, “receipt of formal notification from the United States that it has filed criminal charges against SBF and is likely to request his extradition.”
USA Damian Williams: Earlier this evening, Bahamian authorities arrested Samuel Bankman-Fried at the request of the U.S. Government, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY. We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.
Bankman-Fried was scheduled to testify before Congress at the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday. However, as United States Attorney Damian Williams explained in a Tweet Monday, Bankman-Fried has been taken into custody “based on a sealed indictment,” which will be revealed and explained in the morning.
“Clearly, I made a lot of mistakes. There are things I would give anything to be able to do over again,” Bankman-Fried recently tried to explain to the New York Times. “I did not ever try to commit fraud on anyone.”
The Bahamian government is also being accused of collusion — not by the DoJ, but rather FTX itself. Attorneys for the company asserted on Monday (ahead of the arrest news) that the Bahamas as a governing entity had colluded with Bankman-Fried to help move the ill-gotten funds from all those suspicious transactions that took place right before bankruptcy into crypto-wallets controlled by Bahamian regulators.
Bankman-Fried stepped down from his role of CEO at FTX in November and was replaced by John J. Ray III, an executive who was also helmed Enron through its own bankruptcy proceedings. In his prepared remarks for Tuesday’s now-postponed congressional hearings, Ray painted a bleak picture of FTX’s late stage management and operations.
In it, he says that FTX went on a $5 billion spending spree in late 2021 and early 2022, “buying a myriad of businesses and investments, many of which may be worth only a fraction of what was paid for them,” as well as making numerous loans and payments amounting to more than $1 billion, “to insiders.” Those funds were also co-mingled with money from Bankman-Fried’s other venture Alameda Research, which also used client funds to engage in high-risk margin trading.
Depending on what the Southern District Attorney’s office unseals tomorrow, Bankman-Fried could be going away for a very long time. Wire and bank fraud on this scale, per a CNBC legal panel, would put Bankman-Fried in jeopardy of life without parole. Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes and COO Sunny Balwani just got 11 and 12 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the medical company’s massive fraud case. Ponzi Scheme king Bernie Madoff got 150 years for his shenanigans in 2009, and in 2006, Jeff Skilling was handed 24 years for his role in Enron’s downfall.
With the success of Souls games like Dark Souls III and Elden Ring, you’d think FromSoftware would incorporate some of the gameplay into other titles… right? Not so. From president Hidetaka Miyazaki told IGN in an interview that there’s no “conscious…
Netflix’s penchant for live-action manga remakes isn’t going away any time soon. The streaming service has revealed that it’s partnering with Legendary Entertainment on a live action My Hero Academia movie. Anime and manga adaptation veteran Shinsuke Sato (Alice in Borderland, Bleach) will both direct and executive produce, while Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s Joby Harold is writing the screenplay.
The manga and the anime it fostered both revolve around Deku, a boy who aches to join the UA High School and become a superhero despite missing the natural powers that most humans have by that point. Both the manga and the still-running anime offshoot have been successful, with the manga racking up over 65 million sales so far.
There’s no mention of casting or a release window for the Netflix project. Toho, which handles the anime, will distribute the movie to Japanese theatres. As IndieWireexplains, this comes four years after Legendary said a movie was in the works.
As with earlier adaptations, Netflix has multiple incentives to create a My Hero Academia title. It’s tapping into a large fanbase, sometimes for anime productions it already offers. This also gives it a way to reel in customers who would otherwise stick to anime-centric rivals like Crunchyroll, which recently lowered prices in some countries.
Whether or not it’ll be worth watching is another matter. Netflix doesn’t have the best track record for live action takes on manga and anime. The Cowboy Bebop series misunderstood its source material and generally struggled despite a top-tier cast and intriguing premise. There’s also the question of the format. A movie doesn’t allow as much room for story development as an episodic show, so My Hero Academia may have to rush through the narrative.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the 2023 Golden Globes nominations today. Streaming services dominated television categories, while direct-to-streaming films were recognized as well. Netflix and HBO Max had the best showings among streamers, tallying 14 television nods.
Netflix’s The Crown received four nominations: Best Drama Series, Best Television Actress – Drama Series (Imelda Staunton), Best Supporting Actress – Television Series (Elizabeth Debicki) and Best Supporting Actor – Television Series (Jonathan Pryce). Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story also received four: Best Limited Series – Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture and acting nominations for Evan Peters, Niecy Nash and Richard Jenkins. Other Netflix series receiving nods include Ozark‘s three nominations (including Best Drama Series), along with a single nod each for Inventing Anna and The Addams Family spinoff Wednesday.
Netflix also did well in the film categories, with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery nominated for two awards (including Best Picture – Musical/Comedy) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio picking up two more (including Best Picture – Animated). Additionally, three more Netflix movies received acting recognition: Ana de Armas (Blonde), Adam Driver (White Noise) and Eddie Redmayne (The Good Nurse).
HBO
The White Lotus was HBO Max’s top series, picking up four nominations, including Best Limited Series – Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture. The dark comedy anthology also picked up acting nods for Jennifer Coolidge, Aubrey Plaza and 83-year-old F. Murray Abraham. Hacks was close behind with three, including Best Musical/Comedy Series and two acting noms (Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder). Finally, House of the Dragon’s three nominations (including Best Drama Series) brought the Game of Thrones franchise back to awards season.
Severance and Black Bird put Apple TV+ on the board. The former was nominated for Best Drama Series, along with acting recognition for Adam Scott and John Turturro. Black Bird was nominated for Best Limited Series – Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture, alongside acting noms for Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser.
Disney+
Disney+ had a limited presence on this year’s list. Diego Luna picked up an acting nod for the title role in Andor while Turning Red was nominated for Best Picture – Animated. However, Hulu — Disney’s other streaming service — did very well, picking up noms for Pam & Tommy (four, including Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture), Only Murders in the Building (three), Elizabeth Holmes story The Dropout (two) and Under the Banner of Heaven (two).
As always, there were several high-profile omissions. Amazon’s budget-shattering epic, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, didn’t receive a single nomination. Meanwhile, whether because of Will Smith’s damaged reputation or the movie itself, Apple TV+ film Emancipation was also left out.
Winners will be announced at the 2023 Golden Globes ceremony on January 10th, starting at 8 PM ET. The show will air on NBC and Peacock with comedian Jerrod Carmichael as host.
When Lyft first pledged to go fully electric by the end of 2030, the company detailed a plan that involved an “extremely hard” push on incentives for drivers. Now, more than two years later, the company is rolling out a new EV bundle to encourage drive…
A few weeks ago, LG announced its latest UltraGear gaming monitor, the 27GR95QE. Behind the unassuming model number is a display that has a lot of buzz around it. That’s because the spec sheet of the 27GR95QE reads like every monitor wishlist you’ve pr…
As the name suggests, the Hero 11 Black Mini is a smaller version of GoPro’s latest top-end action camera. Right now it’s seeing a 42 percent discount at GoPro’s website when you bundle it with a GoPro subscription. By itself, the camera goes for $400,…
In a world where most laptops are entirely sealed, with no real way to tweak the hardware, Framework’s modular devices stand out. The company’s first Windows laptop was a solid computer considering the price – and that’s before you factor in the fact that you could swap ports, easily add more storage or RAM or even upgrade the processor down the line.
It’s been a little over a year since the first Framework laptops launched, and now the company has a new model, the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition (which I’ll refer to as the Framework Chromebook from here on out). It offers the same benefits as its Windows sibling – namely, solid industrial design and specs coupled with the promise of customization and future expandability. That said, it’s also one of the more expensive Chromebooks available, starting at $999. That’s a lot of money for a Chromebook – but if it can last you five years or more, it might be worth the cost.
Hardware
Visually, the Framework Chromebook has little to distinguish it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is very utilitarian, with a silver aluminum chassis that resembles so many other devices out there. Still, it’s a pretty compact device, less than two-thirds of an inch thick and weighing under three pounds. A classy reflective Framework logo on the lid is the only thing distinguishing it from an Acer, ASUS and other brands’ laptops.
A day or two later, I discovered that the Framework Chromebook does have one bit of flair: the black bezel around the screen is magnetic and easily removable. Framework actually provided me with a fun orange option, which I left on. You can also get a silver bezel if you want, but orange is a personal favorite. I’m hoping the company adds a few more colors in the future as well.
Inside that bezel is a 1080p webcam that’s totally fine for video calling. Also of interest is the fact that there are hardware switches for disabling the camera and microphones. This isn’t just a software trick either; the switches actually cut the power to those modules, making it a fairly secure option (though a physical cover over the camera would be pretty impenetrable, too).
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
While Framework devices are upgradeable, a few things are more permanent – namely, the display and keyboard. (You can replace both if they break, but there aren’t more advanced versions to upgrade your laptop with at this time. That could change, of course). Fortunately, both are excellent, as you’d hope for in a laptop at this price. The 13.5-inch display has a high resolution of 2,256 x 1,504, which translates to a taller 3:2 aspect ratio that I wish were more common.
The main downside is that it’s not a touchscreen, something you’ll find on most Chromebooks. That makes installing touch-driven Android apps less appealing, though at this point most of the apps I use (Lightroom, Todoist, Spotify and video apps like Netflix) work fine with a keyboard and mouse. That minor disappointment aside, the screen is great. Text and images are sharp, and its 400-nit max brightness is more than sufficient unless you have sunlight coming through and shining right on the display.
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
As you’d expect, Framework swapped out the Windows keyboard layout for one that will feel familiar to Chromebook users, with the “everything” button on the left in place of caps lock and the function row shortcuts like back, refresh and screenshot right where I expected. There’s no Google Assistant key, but you can easily access the Assistant in the ChromeOS search bar if you’re so inclined. The keyboard itself is excellent; the backlit buttons have 1.5mm of travel and are solid and precise. The key caps are a bit small, but it didn’t take me long to adjust. I do wish that Framework included the fingerprint sensor found on its Windows laptop, though. Given that plenty of other Chromebooks support fingerprint unlocking, I’m surprised it isn’t available here.
At $999, the Framework Chromebook isn’t cheap, but the company didn’t spare any expense with the processor. It features Intel’s 12th-generation Core i5-1240P CPU, along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage on the base model. Most Chromebooks with comparable specs are similarly priced, so Framework’s laptop isn’t excessively expensive – but the question, as always, is whether spending that much money on a ChromeOS device is a good idea at all.
Swappable ports and expansion
Let’s get into what makes the Framework Chromebook unique. Instead of having a set of unchangeable ports, there are four slots for user-selectable Expansion Cards. Framework offers sockets for USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet and microSD. Additionally, you can use those connections for easily-swappable storage; Framework offers 250GB and 1TB modules. All the Expansion Cards are USB-C based; the ports on the laptop itself are just four recessed USB-C openings. This means you could use the storage cards with other computers to easily move files around.
I went with two USB-C ports (one on each side), USB-A and HDMI. Framework helpfully included an LED light on each side of the laptop so you confirm when you’re charging and when the battery is full. Everything functioned as I would have expected: the HDMI port worked just fine with my external monitor, and my old USB-A flash drive showed up with no issues. I also tested out the Ethernet Expansion Card, which was plug-and-play simple (though it’s bigger than the other cards and thus sticks out of the side of the machine).
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
I’m of two minds when it comes to these modules. On the one hand, the ability to customize what ports are available on your computer is pretty damn cool. If I used microSD or Ethernet more, for example, I’d love the ability to swap those in, or just load up on USB-C ports if I had a lot of compatible peripherals. But there are also plenty of Chromebooks that have USB-A, HDMI and microSD slots, which makes the Framework’s modular slots a little less compelling to me.
However, the fact that my needs are modest doesn’t change the fact that there are probably lots of people who want more flexibility in their laptop. Being able to drop an Ethernet port in for when you’re doing a lot of downloading and then swap it for USB-A if you’re hooking up older accessories is undeniably useful. It also future-proofs this laptop quite a bit. If you get rid of all your USB-A gadgets, for example, just throw in another UBC-C port or add more storage. There are tons of possibilities here that you just don’t get from a standard laptop.
These swappable ports are only one facet of the Framework Chromebook’s flexibility. Using the included Torx T5 screwdriver, I was able to loosen the five screws on the underside of the laptop and then lift the keyboard deck right off, exposing the laptop’s innards. It’s all laid out clearly and everything is labeled, and there are QR codes you can scan to go directly to upgrade guides. I didn’t change much under the hood, but Framework provided me with a second 8GB memory chip that I was able to install in about five minutes. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been able to upgrade my laptop’s RAM like this, and with two slots I could shove in up to 64GB of memory. That’s something that will make this Chromebook a useful machine for a long time.
And that’s to say nothing about upgrading the processor. The Framework Chromebook has Intel’s latest-gen chip on board, so there’s no need to change it now. But, Framework has already started offering new “mainboards” for its Windows laptop, which originally shipped with an 11th-generation Intel CPU. It seems likely that in a few years, when Intel has newer chips available, Framework will let you swap them in and give your old laptop a nice performance bump.
Another cool point about the swappable mainboard is the fact that if you decide ChromeOS isn’t for you, you could pick up a Windows-compatible mainboard and move on with your life running Microsoft’s OS. Framework says that the Chromebook has some ChromeOS-specific parts and firmware, which is why you can’t just wipe the device and install Windows. But being able to swap the mainboard and keyboard for Windows-compatible is another example of the customization at the heart of Framework.
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
In use
As you’d expect, using the Framework Chromebook was basically identical to any other Chromebook with these specs. It’s a snappy, responsive laptop that can handle basically anything you might want to do in ChromeOS, including those aforementioned Android apps as well as web apps and a ton of Chrome tabs.
Battery life is the main downside here. I only got a little over six hours unplugged doing my normal work routine, and the battery lasted about eight hours and 15 minutes when looping playback of an HD video stored locally on the laptop. Framework did note there’s a battery-draining bug when using the laptop with either the HDMI or DisplayPort expansion cards installed; that should be fixed in a future software update. But even without those cards installed, I still got the same six or so hours of battery life.
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Wrap-up
After my time with this Chromebook, I”m officially a fan of what Framework is doing. The laptop has few compromises compared to most other ChromeOS devices, namely battery life and a rather pedestrian appearance. But don’t mistake the lack of flash for poor design. The Framework Chromebook is extremely repairable for ordinary humans while still keeping a relatively small and light frame. And it also has a great screen and keyboard to go along with its powerful, upgradeable internals.
At $999, it’s one of the more expensive Chromebooks on the market, and you could get a comparable device like the Asus Chromebook Spin 714 for the comparatively low cost of $729. But, that device isn’t repairable or upgradeable at all, while the Framework Chromebook can easily be fixed by most people who buy one – and owners can also add more storage, RAM and hopefully even replace the processor down the line to keep it alive for a lot longer than your average laptop. For some people, especially those who feel like our gadgets shouldn’t be disposable things we replace every few years, that makes the Framework Chromebook worth the premium.
Discord is expanding on Connections, a feature that allows users to show what music they’re listening to (among other things), by providing a way for folks to verify their identity using accounts on other platforms. Starting in the next few weeks, admins will be able to offer dedicated server roles to users who have authenticated profiles with accounts elsewhere.
The core idea behind these Linked Roles is to provide a stronger sense of trust. The platforms that support this feature at the outset are Xbox, PlayStation, Steam, Epic Games, Battle.net, League of Legends, Riot Games, Reddit, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, Spotify, Facebook, GitHub, Crunchyroll, PayPal and eBay. Discord bots for Destiny 2 (Charlemagne) and Roblox (Bloxlink) support Linked Roles too.
Discord
You can show these connected accounts on your Discord profile, along with certain details like your follower count or eBay seller feedback rating. If you’re selling your art on Discord, for instance, you can indicate to potential customers that the work on a DeviantArt profile is actually yours, since the accounts will be linked. Discord admins and moderators can also choose to offer server roles with perks, such as access to certain channels, to users who authenticate their accounts with Connections and meet various conditions.
Admins will be able to select the parameters for unlocking Linked Roles. They can stipulate, for instance, that a user needs to link to a Steam account that’s a certain number of days old and/or has a minimum number of Dota 2 or Team Fortress 2 items to show that they’re genuine players. From a server’s dropdown menu, users will be able to view the requirements for each Linked Role. Each role will automatically be granted to their profiles when they meet the conditions.
Discord
Discord is keeping privacy in mind here. Admins and moderators won’t automatically gain access to info from your Connections even if you’ve already linked accounts before joining a server. You’ll need to manually opt-in to a server’s Linked Roles before details from your connected accounts are accessible. Moreover, if you’re eligible, you can snag a Linked Role on a server without having to show any details from your Connections on your profiles. Discord can handle things on the back end without admins or moderators being able to see your info.
Linked Roles build on previous Connections features, such as being able to show off whatever Xbox or PlayStation game you’re playing on your Discord profile. Discord is rolling out Linked Roles at a time when Twitter is upending its approach to account verification. Cross-platform authentication can help to verify a person’s identity. You’ll be able to tell, for instance, if a Discord profile actually belongs to a big name Instagram, YouTube or TikTok creator thanks to those accounts being linked.
Discord
Meanwhile, Discord is starting to roll out green checkmarks next to Connections for certain services. The icon will show that the connected app is from a vetted developer. Discord says this will “help establish an important level of trust between apps from developer partners and the millions of users who interact with those apps every day across Discord.”
As of today, 22 of these “official” apps are available. Next year, Discord will start offering an application process for developers who want to have their apps designated as official. In the meantime, using a new API, developers can create or update apps to support Connections features.
It took a couple of months, but the first smart home devices to support the Matter standard are finally ready. As promised in November, Eve Systems is updating the Eve Energy plug and two sensors, the Eve Door & Window and Eve Motion, with Matter support. The free firmware lets the previously HomeKit-only hardware talk to any controller that supports the new technology, including Samsung’s SmartThings app as well as upcoming support through Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
As The Vergenotes, the update currently requires the not-yet-official iOS and iPadOS 16.2 upgrades that could arrive this week, and you’ll have to enlist in an early access program. You won’t need Apple products for much longer, though. Matter-capable products should arrive in the first quarter of 2023 alongside an Android version of Eve’s app. The entire roster of 14 Eve devices should support Matter “over time,” according to the company. You’ll only have simple functionality on other control platforms at first, but the Android app should expand support.
Matter is a bid to end the compatibility headaches that still plague the smart home world, where you may need certain apps or smart speakers to use your preferred gear. Ideally, you won’t have to worry about whether or not a bulb or thermostat will fit into your existing setup — so long as you see the Matter badging, it should work.
The catch, of course, is that more vendors will need to follow suit. While Matter-ready apps, hubs and network routers are coming relatively quickly, the end devices aren’t expected to arrive in force until 2023. Major smart home brands like Signify (Philips Hue) have already pledged support, though, so it’s more a question of time than desire.
