Android creator’s alleged sexual misconduct swept under the rug by Google

James Leynse/Getty Images

When Android creator Andy Rubin left Google in 2014, he was hailed as a hero who changed the mobile landscape forever. While he may well have done so, what was not made public was that he had been accused of sexual misconduct by a woman who said he coerced her into performing oral sex in a hotel room in 2013, according to The New York Times.

The Times cites two Google executives with knowledge of the incident. After Rubin was accused of sexual misconduct, Google investigated the claim, which it found to be credible. Google founder Larry Page subsequently asked for Rubin’s resignation.

The report notes that while Google could have fired him for sexual misconduct, it gave him a $90 million exit package, amounting to $2.5 million per month for two years, then $1.25 million per month for two years after that.

This was not the first time Rubin ran in trouble. The Times notes that security staff once found bondage sex videos on Rubin’s work computer, and he dated other women at the company while married to his wife. In 2011, he had a consensual relationship with a woman at Google who was not his subordinate, however, the pair did not report the relationship to Google human resources, despite rules requiring them to do so. Rubin and his wife divorced in August.

In 2013, Google combined the management of the Chrome and Android divisions, and Rubin lost a power struggle to Sundar Pichai, who went on to become Google CEO. Around that time, Rubin was reportedly also casually seeing another woman from the Android division. They started seeing each other in 2012, but in 2013, the woman reportedly wanted to break things off with Rubin, but was concerned that doing so would affect her career. They agreed to meet at a hotel, where Rubin pressured her into oral sex. The incident ended their relationship, but she waited until 2014 to report it to Google HR, after which Google began investigating. Shortly after the investigation began, Google awarded Rubin a stock grant worth around $150 million. It’s unclear if the board members who approved the grant knew about the investigation at the time.

That $150 million grant was enormously helpful for Rubin in negotiating his exit package later. That’s because Google wanted to avoid any kind of wrongful termination lawsuit, which could have brought negative attention to the company.

The news about Rubin may not be all that surprising — The Information reported late last year that Google had investigated Rubin for an inappropriate relationship. After the report, Rubin took a leave of absence from Essential, a smartphone company he founded after leaving Google.

After the news circulated on Thursday, October 26, Pichai and Vice President of People Operations Eileen Naughton sent an email (which was obtained by CNBC) to employees saying that the company was “dead serious about making sure we provide a safe and inclusive workplace,” and that it had taken a number of steps over the past few years to ensure a safe environment, including “taking an increasingly hard line on inappropriate conduct by people in positions of authority: In the last two years, 48 people have been terminated for sexual harassment, including 13 who were senior managers and above. None of these individuals received an exit package.”

Updated on October 25, 2018: Google released an emailed statement to employees.

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The best Huawei Mate 20 Pro cases to keep your stunning flagship safe

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

With a new and powerful processor, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and four camera lenses, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro may be the Android phone to buy if you’re looking to score a device boasting the biggest technological advances around. But with a price tag that exceeds $1,000, as well as import taxes, you’re going to be wondering if you ever want to take such a valuable but fragile phone into the dangerous outside world. A protective case that can stop your expensive phone from becoming an expensive paperweight is probably a good investment. Here are the best Huawei Mate 20 Pro cases to keep your phone safe.

Olixar Ultra-Thin Clear Case ($10)

While you may want to keep your phone protected, you probably don’t want to stop anyone from being able to see its beautiful glass design. That’s where this case from Olixar comes in. It’s made from completely clear TPU, so you can always show off your phone’s design. The flexible TPU is protective, and the soft material provides great shock-absorption — and it’s durable too. It’s formed to fit your phone perfectly, and a raised front bezel protects your phone’s display against abrasive surfaces and dirt. It’s basic, and it won’t provide the level of protection a larger case would, but it’s cheap and it gets the job done.

Buy it now from:

Olixar Amazon Mobile Fun

Spigen Rugged Armor ($25)

If you’re looking for something a little more protective, then take a look at Spigen’s Rugged Armor case. It’s made from TPU, which adds plenty of resistance to drops and shocks — and that’s compounded by the addition of air cushions protecting each corner. It has a cool sci-fi style with carbon fiber panels, so it’ll look good pretty much anywhere. It also has raised bezels that mean your phone shouldn’t be resting directly on any surfaces. It’s not the cheapest for a TPU case, but Spigen’s reputation is extremely good, making the Rugged Armor case a great choice for everyday use.

Buy it now from:

Spigen Amazon

Tech21 Evo Luxe Vegan Leather Case ($50)

Tech21 is one of the best names in the business for drop protection, and with a case like the Evo Luxe, it’s easy to see why. It’s made from premium faux leather, which feels great and looks even better, imparting an executive and sleek style. It contains FlexShock, a material Tech21 claims absorbs the energy from impacts extremely well, and can survive drops of up to 12 feet. It’s fairly slim too, and doesn’t add much weight. However, it’s very much on the expensive side — especially since this isn’t real leather. Still, it’s extremely good protection, and it looks amazing.

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Tech21

Official Smart View Flip Case ($38)

You don’t just need to look at third-parties to get your case — Huawei offers some great options too. This Smart View flip case really caught our eye. Thanks to the synthetic leather material, it’s super-stylish and looks great anywhere, from the boardroom to the gym — and the cover flips across the display for all-around protection. The real magic here, though, is in the clear window on the front, which displays the time, weather, notifications, and more. The window is a nifty little feature, and it allows you get updates at a glance, without needing to uncover your phone. It’s not as protective as a rugged case, but it’s still a great option if you like the utility and style.

Buy it now from:

Walmart Mobile Fun

UAG Monarch Series ($60)

If you want some serious protection, you need look no further than UAG’s Monarch series. Made from a combination of top-grain leather and metal alloys, the Monarch case boasts five layers of protection and exceeds twice the military standards for drop and shock protection. It has a soft, impact-resistant core as well as a honeycomb traction grip that’ll help you keep hold of your device. There’s even a raised bezel to protect your screen, and oversized button covers. UAG’s so proud of it, the case also comes with a 10-year limited warranty. It’s certainly expensive, but if you’re outdoors a lot and you need some truly fantastic protection, then you should invest in this case.

Buy it now from:

UAG

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Microsoft’s Andromeda might still exist after being spotted in a presentation

Image from Reddit u/silentcrs

References to Microsoft’s upcoming rumored Andromeda folding device have been spotted in an official presentation, according to a post on Reddit. Though making just a brief appearance, the mention further hints that the device exists and that Microsoft is still actively developing the project.

The Reddit post comes from someone who attended a Microsoft enterprise-focused presentation explaining how Windows development has shifted to DevOps. Aimed at Microsoft’s union of people, process, and products, line two of a presentation slide (above) highlights a dependency tracker and proposed references for developers to test hardware on Andromeda.

Other places in the slide also make references to Windows Core OS (WCOS,) which is the rumored modular Windows revamp that many believe will power the Andromeda device. There also seems to be a dual reference of Andromeda and QSEEW (Qualcomm secure execution environment), pointed out by a user on Twitter.

“They did not bring anything up verbally about it. The state is ‘proposed,’ which means it’s not been committed to any Windows branch yet, but clearly, it’s something they’re working on,” explains the Reddit posting.

The references are indeed rather vague, hinting that Microsoft is again now showing mixed feelings about the new device. Earlier in this year, Microsoft Chief Product Designer Panos Panay effectively killed hopes for Andromeda device, telling publications, “We can’t bring new categories into the world and not be a place where customers need it.”

Microsoft is obviously heavily invested in Andromeda and a rash of evolving patents have proved the device is something that being worked on and possibly changing. Most recently, a patent from October 11 shows that Microsoft could be considering Andromeda as a new computing form factor utilizing a single flexible display. That is a big change from before, where patents showed that Microsoft wanted to use a 360-degree hinge on the device.

Patents don’t always hold up to be true and more time is clearly needed for things to fully wrap out here, but the hype for Andromeda is now somewhat more real. A reveal might not be coming right away, but since Microsoft is now dropping hints to developers in official presentations, Andromeda might surface soon enough.

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Google patent hints at more smart garments with improved haptic feedback

Google’s wearable efforts may be a little hit-or-miss, but the company continues to work hard on developing wearable tech that can be used in everyday life. In fact, Google has been awarded a patent related to providing haptic feedback to users while wearing an “interactive garment.”

According to the patent, while mobile devices like smartphones aren’t all that easy to integrate into day-to-day life, wearable solutions like smart clothing are easier. The problem with them, however, is that they can be difficult to manufacture and may lack good functionality. Many of them may provide haptic feedback, but they usually only have one point of haptic feedback, which may or may not be felt by the user. That’s the issue Google is trying to solve here, by instead incorporating multiple vibration motors into a garment to ensure that haptic feedback is felt by the wearer.

Haptic feedback in a smart garment could come in handy for a variety of reasons. For example, it could be used to alert the user of an incoming notification, or it could be used when the user taps on touch-sensitive parts of the smart garment to alert the user to the fact that the input has been received.

The patent notes that the tech could be used in a jacket, shirt, or pants, though it could ultimately end up in any worn garment.

Google is no stranger to the concept of smart garments. Towards the end of last year, in partnership with Levi’s, the company unveiled the Commuter Trucker Jacket, which made use of Google’s Project Jacquard software. The jacket had touch-sensitive sensors built right into it, and allowed wearers to do things like control music playback, get information about their commute, and so on. Project Jacquard mostly uses a plastic sensor in the sleeve, though the patent notes that touch-sensitive surfaces could end up being more integrated into a jacket. It’s possible that the new patent hints at more offerings like Levi’s jacket, though the likes of Google routinely file for patents that they ultimately never end up using.

And, of course, Google has been working hard at further developing its wearable tech offerings, largely through improving Wear OS, its smartwatch operating system.

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AMD’s Radeon RX 590 inches closer to launch to take on Nvidia’s GTX 1060

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AMD‘s Radeon RX 590 is now all but officially confirmed. Though AMD has not yet announced the card, the Radeon RX 590 made an appearance at the Eurasian Economic Union certification office after third-party manufacturer PowerColor submitted the graphics card for regulatory approval. The government listing shows two product codes, an AXRX 580 8GBD5-3DH/OC and a second AXRX 690 8GBD5-3DH/OC. The second product code is believed to be for the Radeon RX 590, while the first code may be for an overclocked version of AMD’s current RX 580 with more video memory, according to TechRadar.

This isn’t the first time that we’re hearing about the Radeon RX 590. Previously, the chip was spotted going through 3DMark’s benchmark tests. The results of those earlier leaked benchmarks put the performance of AMD’s Radeon RX 590 directly in between the performance of Nvidia’s competing GeForce GTX 1060 and GTX 1070 cards. This should give most gamers quite a bit of graphics performance, but if the early benchmarks are to be believed, the Radeon RX 590 still won’t be able to top Nvidia’s flagship GTX 1080 card. As such, the Radeon RX 590 is expected to be a competitive mid-range graphics card, and if AMD is able to price the new GPU aggressively, this could be a big win for gamers or those wanting a virtual reality-compatible system.

From the performance benchmarks, it appears that AMD is pushing for faster clock speeds with the RX 590. The graphics card clocked in at 1,545MHz, compared to the RX 580’s 1,340MHz. The new RX 590 is expected to share the same 8GB GDDR5 memory and 2,000Hz memory bus clock speed as the Radeon RX580. Though we don’t know when the RX 590 is expected to be announced, earlier reports suggested that AMD could refresh its Radeon RX 500 lineup in 2019. The new cards could be built on a new 12nm manufacturing process as part of AMD’s Polaris 30 architecture.

To compete against the Radeon RX 590, rival Nvidia may also be working on a more affordable GPU option that delivers more performance to counter AMD in the mid-range space. Earlier this week, we reported that Nvidia may be refreshing its GTX 1060 card with faster GDDR5 video memory to give it a performance boost.

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Billy Crudup and Gugu Mbatha-Raw Join Apple’s Upcoming Morning News Drama

Apple’s morning show drama starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston is in the casting stage, and Billy Crudup and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are the show’s latest additions, reports Variety.

Crudup will play Cory Ellison, a “forward-thinking president of the network news division,” while Mbatha-Raw will play Hannah Shoenfield, a “whip-smart and charming” booker of talent.

Image via Shutterstock
Mbatha-Raw is known for “Black Mirror,” “A Wrinkle in Time,” “Irreplaceable You,” and “The Cloverfield Paradox,” while Crudup is known for his roles in “Spotlight,” “Jackie,” “Alien: Covenant,” and “Justice League.”

The as of yet unnamed morning show drama will also feature Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, and, as announced earlier this week, Steve Carell, best known for “The Office.”

The upcoming show is based on Brian Stelter’s non-fiction book “Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV.” It will explore the drama-filled lives of the men and women who star on morning talk shows.

Apple has already signed on to air two 10-episode seasons of the show, which is being produced by Witherspoon and Aniston.

Apple has more than a dozen original television shows in the works, the first of which could debut in March 2019 through a rumored video service that Apple is planning to launch. At least some of the content included in the upcoming video service could be free to watch through the Apple TV app.

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Pokémon Go to Integrate With Apple’s Health App

In an upcoming update, popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go will gain support for the Apple Health app, developer Niantic announced today.

Adventure Sync, a new feature, will use walking distances pulled from Apple Health to let you earn candy and hatch eggs even when the Pokémon Go app isn’t running.

Niantic says Adventure Sync will also provide Pokémon Go users with a weekly summary on incubator and candy progress right alongside activity statistics.

Through the trainer profile, Pokémon Go users will be able to see the number of kilometers walked each week, and rewards will be available for each milestones that’s reached.

Adventure Sync is “coming soon” and alongside Apple Health on iPhones, it will work with Google Fit on Android devices.

Pokémon Go can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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DT Daily: Drone-snatching eagles, streamer Disguised Toast, and more

It’s official: DT Daily is up and running. In our premiere episode, we touched upon the future of food delivery and the launch of the Boring Company’s first high-speed tunnel, not to mention the challenge with building your own personal brand in the age of Instagram and other social media behemoths.

In Wednesday’s episode, host Greg Nibler and guest Adrien Warner ran through an assortment of reader comments as well as the latest headlines, from Apple’s forthcoming Netflix competitor, to the latest iteration of Facebook Messenger, to Spatial’s new augmented-reality glasses.

Later in the show, Nibler sat down with Emerging Tech Editor Drew Prindle to discuss the dangers associated with modern drones, as well as the regulations the Federal Aviation Administration (FFA) has recently put in place to combat rouge UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). The two also talked about other potential anti-drone measures, including eagles and the aptly named “SkyWall 100,” both of which are currently being utilized in some capacity or another.

Drones weren’t the only things on the DT Daily agenda for Wednesday, however.

Nibler and Digital Trends brand manager BJ Frogozo also spoke with notable Twitch streamer Disguised Toast about the origins of his professional career, the current nature of the Twitch economy, and TwitchCon, an annual event in which streamers and their communities celebrate, educate themselves, and broadcast alongside other like-minded streamers. Toast even made a few suggestions for budding streamers looking to start their own Twitch channel. (Hint: Don’t start with Twitch.)

Kim Wetzel, Digital Trends’ smart home editor, also made a guest appearance alongside Sony’s new robotic dog, Aibo. The sixth-generation, A.I.-powered companion is one of the most advanced robots to hit the consumer market in recent years, one that is set to launch in mid-December to the tune of $2,900. Still, if you’re in the market for a robo-pooch who can wag its tail, shake, and learn a batch of other commonplace tricks, there’s really alternative.

DT Daily airs Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. PT, with highlights available on demand after the stream ends. For more information, check out the DT Live homepage, and be sure to watch live for the chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card, among other prizes.

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Italy fines Apple and Samsung for slowing down older phones

Feel like your Galaxy phone or iPhone has been slowing down? You’re not alone in your suspicions — Italy fined Apple and Samsung on Wednesday, October 24 for slowing down older phones with software updates.

Italy’s antitrust agency handed both Apple and Samsung fines of 5 million euros ($5.7 million) each for intentionally slowing down handsets with software updates. Apple was fined a further 5 million euros (for a total of $11.4 million) for also failing to inform customers on how to maintain and replace an iPhone battery.

The investigation and subsequent fine came about following the actions of various Italian consumer groups, who complained that software updates were intentionally slowing older hardware down, and pushing customers into buying new phones. This practice, known as planned obsolescence, is obviously viewed with anger by most consumers, and steps have been taken in some countries to make it illegal.

The additional fine for batteries makes the reasoning behind Apple’s fine crystal clear. Apple was forced to admit in early 2018 that it was intentionally slowing down older iPhones. Apple’s reasoning behind the slowdown was actually pretty solid, and despite the bad overtones, it maintained that its intentions were good. According to Apple, older batteries were unable to cope with the strain of maximum processing power, so older iPhones with correspondingly older batteries were throttled to protect against sudden shutdowns.

Apple apologized for the action, added an option to turn the throttling off in iOS 11.3, and offered cut-price battery replacements for a host of older iPhone models. But it wasn’t enough to keep the governmental wolves from the door, and following sustained customer outrage, consumer watchdogs began to investigate the Cupertino, California company. What we see today appears to be the result of an investigation into that same scandal.

Samsung’s fine, on the other hand, was linked to the Galaxy Note 4. According to customer complaints, Samsung pushed out a 2016 update that had not been optimized for the Galaxy Note 4. As a result of the update, owners complained their performance was significantly impacted. The investigation noted the update put too much stress on the Note 4’s older hardware, and caused various malfunctions, including unwanted restarts. This appears to be similar to the effects that Apple were intending to avoid with its own throttling.

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Gorillaz send Casio’s G-Shocks into space in ambitious new collaboration

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Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

2D DW-5600 G-Shock Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Russel GX-56 G-Shock Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Russel GX-56 G-Shock Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Noodle DW-5600 G-Shock Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Noodle DW-5600 G-Shock Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Noodle DW-5600 G-Shock Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Murdoc DW-5600 G-Shock Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Murdoc DW-5600 G-Shock Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Virtual pop group Gorillaz are the latest to form a partnership with Casio’s G-Shock, resulting in a collection of four new watches each made to represent the members of the band, in a continued celebration of G-Shock’s 35th anniversary. Casio has been teasing the collaboration for several weeks, and has now unveiled the watches at its store on Carnaby Street in London ahead of the official launch.

While collaborations are nothing new to Casio — it has partnered with many companies ranging from New Era and Burton snowboards to conservation group I.C.E.R.C. — the Gorillaz series is one of its most comprehensive and ambitious. In addition to the watches, an animated short film featuring the group has been made, and is being slowly released in the lead-up to release. The second part of the short film was debuted at the London event.

It was explained the film’s story is somewhat inspired by the words of G-Shock creator Kikuo Ibe. In a 2016 interview, he said, “What I dream of is in 50 years time to create a watch that people can wear in outer space. My dream is for aliens and humans to be wearing G-Shock in outer space.” The short film takes that premise, incorporates an animated Mr. Ibe, then adds some crazy visuals, the Gorillaz, and the new G-Shock watches. Visitors to the Carnaby Street store in London are greeted by the Gorillaz vehicle hanging from the ceiling, having “crash landed” at the end of the second installment of the film.

How about the watches? These aren’t part of G-Shock’s connected range, so do not feature Bluetooth or fitness tracking technology. Instead, three will be based on the DW-5600, one of the most iconic G-Shock designs, while a fourth model is based on the GX-56 G-Shock, or “King” as it’s colloquially known. The four band members — 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs — are represented, with their own watches featuring profile images of each character on the strap and the case back, plus on the DW-5600, custom backlights with the band’s logo. The GX-56 is tied to Russel Hobbs, and has a Gorillaz logo on the body.

The DW-5600 watches cost 120 British pounds each, or around $155, while the GX-56 is 150 pounds, or around $192. Each comes in a custom box and tin. Murdoc and 2D’s watches will be released on November 15, followed by Russel and Noodle’s on December 15. This is a limited edition, and only 1,000 of each will be made. They’re likely to prove very popular among fans of the virtual band and collectible G-Shock watches alike.

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