Charter promises gigabit Internet to “virtually” all customers this year

Enlarge / Charter’s gigabit service is available in these eight markets and will spread across the ISP’s 41-state footprint this year. (credit: Charter ) Charter’s cable network extends to about 50 million homes and businesses across the US, and nearly all of them should have the opportunity to buy gigabit-speed cable Internet by the end of 2018. So far, prices for the service range from $105 to $125. “By year-end, we’ll offer gigabit services in virtually everywhere we serve at all 50 million passings,” Charter CEO Tom Rutledge told investors in an earnings call Friday. The number of residential units among those 40 million locations is somewhere above 40 million. An earnings call transcript by Seeking Alpha is available here , and Rutledge’s remarks were pointed out by news site Stop the Cap . Read 13 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Charter promises gigabit Internet to “virtually” all customers this year

‘Game of Thrones’ showrunners will write a new ‘Star Wars’ series

If you were excited for Rian Johnson’s upcoming trilogy of Star Wars films, there’s even nerdier news incoming. Another film series in a galaxy far, far away has just been announced — and they will be written and produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the showrunners of HBO’s Game of Thrones . The only thing we know about the new series is that it will be from both the main Skywalker saga and Johnson’s trilogy. Otherwise, nothing has been announced regarding their focus or release dates, though Weiss and Benioff noted they won’t start work on the films until Game of Thrones ‘ final season wraps. But at least this suggests a broader Star Wars universe beyond the stories we grew up watching. “David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today, ” Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, said in a statement according to Variety . “Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star Wars in ways I find incredibly exciting.” “In the summer of 1977 we traveled to a galaxy far, far away, and we’ve been dreaming of it ever since, ” Benioff and Weiss said in a joint statement. “We are honored by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of Game of Thrones is complete.” Source: Variety

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‘Game of Thrones’ showrunners will write a new ‘Star Wars’ series

Android 8.0 Oreo is official, starts rollout to devices

Enlarge (credit: Google ) NEW YORK CITY—Happy Eclipse Day! As the Moon slowly crept its way across the Sun, Google took the opportunity to host an Eclipse-themed Android 8.0 launch event in New York City. Along with eclipse glasses and a simulcast of NASA’s eclipse livestream, Android “O” finally got its full name: “Android 8.0, Oreo.” Like KitKat before it, Android’s alphabetical snack-themed codenames have gone commercial and partnered with an actual snack producer, adopting Nabisco’s trademarked “Oreo” as the name for this release. The event also came with the traditional statue unveiling: a superhero Android Oreo. With today’s event, Android 8.0 Oreo is shipping out across all the usual distribution methods. The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is getting the 8.0 code drop. OTAs will begin to roll out “soon” to the Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, and Pixel C, and system images  should be up on developers.google.com soon. Any device enrolled in the Android Beta Program will also be upgraded to these final builds. Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Android 8.0 Oreo is official, starts rollout to devices

Moog’s latest Sub 37 synth has even more grit than the original

Last year at Moogfest , the namesake synth maker set up a temporary instrument factory to crank our its Model D reissue . For the 2017 installment of the analog soiree, Moog is building another synthesizer on-site in Durham, North Carolina, but this time it’s a retooled version of the more compact Sub 37 . Officially dubbed the Subsequent 37 CV, this new model carries a similar overall construction as its predecessor. However, the front panel is now silver and the side panels are solid aluminum with inset North American hardwood. I won’t be shy about it: This thing is a beaut. “We were inspired to create the Subsequent 37 CV by, or due to, all the feedback we received from players who were in love with the deep modulation capabilities of the sub 37 and wanted to bring that expressivity out to the other gear in their studio, ” explains Moog engineer Amos Gaynes. The “CV” in the model name refers to the four assignable control voltage outputs on the side that sit next to two assignable gate outputs. Those connections allow you to connect the Subsequent 37 CV to much more robust modular systems. Moog also revamped the keybed for increased playability and upgraded headphone amp for live monitoring with high-quality sound. The company also modified the analog signal path on this new piece of gear. “[Control Voltage] allows you to take an changing [electrical] signal from one place to and use it to control the properties of a different sound-making circuit, ” Gaines notes. “It’s important because it allows you to interconnect one thing and another. It allows you to freely connect sources of expression with the musical properties of your studio equipment.” He also explains a key advantage to analog: its responsiveness.”One really good thing about control voltage is that it’s direct and immediate, ” he says. “It’s much higher resolution than digital equivalents. It’s alive–it’s infinitely responsive.” In terms of changes to the sound profile, Moog retuned the Multidrive circuit for even more growl and a grittier sound than the original Sub 37. There’s also now more headroom in the mixer which improves the sound in Duo mode. In fact, Moog says there’s twice as much headroom on the Subsequent 37 CV than the Sub 37 Tribute Edition. And yes, that classic Mood Ladder Filter is still part of the tool box as are some familiar controls from that previous model — like 256 presets and 16 banks of 16 patches. “We took the opportunity when redesigning the instrument not only to add expressive CV output control, but to realize some of our long-held ambitions for the sound engine, ” Gaines says. The first 125 synthesizers will be built at Moogfest and feature presets from artists like 808 State. Those units will be sold exclusively through Guitar Center at the event between May 18-21. Moogfest in Durham. If you can’t make the trip on short notice to take in the event in person, Moog plans to sell 2, 000 of the instruments total, so you’ll have a shot at nabbing one after this weekend. If you’re able to find one, you’ll need to hand over $1, 799 in order to take it home.

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Moog’s latest Sub 37 synth has even more grit than the original

Over 8,000 Uber, Lyft drivers fail new Massachusetts background check

More than 8, 000 Uber and Lyft drivers have been denied licenses to operate in Massachusetts under a new, stricter state background check law , according to the Boston Globe . The most common reason? Issues with the driver’s license status, including suspensions. Under the new law, which went into effect in January, drivers for ride-hailing companies must undergo a two-part background check, one from the companies and one by the state. Out of 70, 789 applicants, 8.206 drivers were rejected, according to a state review. Hundreds were turned down because they had serious crimes on their record, including violent or sexual offenses. Others had drunk or reckless driving offenses. 51 applications came from alleged sex offenders. Uber has faced criticism in the past over its handling of background checks. District attorneys in Los Angeles and San Francisco filed a civil suit against the company in 2014, claiming it failed to unearth the criminal records of 25 drivers in those areas. But, both Uber and Lyft point out that the Massachusetts background check delves much deeper into a person’s history than theirs do, which is unfair to drivers who are trying to turn their lives around. “Under Massachusetts law, Lyft’s commercial background check provider, like all consumer reporting agencies, is legally prevented from looking back further than seven years into driver applicants’ histories, ” Lyft told the Boston Globe in a statement. “The state does not face the same limitation, which likely explains why a small percentage of our drivers failed the state’s background check while passing ours.” “Thousands of people in Massachusetts have lost access to economic opportunities as a result of a screening that includes an unfair and unjust indefinite lookback period, ” Uber said in its own statement. “We have an opportunity to repair the current system in the rules process so that people who deserve to work are not denied the opportunity.” Massachusetts is hardly the first state to push back against ride-hailing companies. Now that Uber and Lyft are becoming ubiquitous across the country, and with self-driving cars on the horizon, over 30 states have passed regulations to tackle some of the companies’ thornier issues. Via: Cnet Source: Boston Globe

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Over 8,000 Uber, Lyft drivers fail new Massachusetts background check