theverge--2020-03-12--Personal privacy matters during a pandemic — but less than it might at other times

During a disease outbreak , one of the best tools at the disposal of public health officials is low-tech detective work .
When a person is diagnosed with an illness like COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , public health experts figure out where they ’ ve recently been and track down everyone they ’ ve been in contact with .
“ Sometimes it requires we know private information about a person who has been infected , ” says Lisa Lee , director of the division of Scholarly Integrity and Research Compliance at Virginia Tech and former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Presidential Bioethics Commission .
It also can mean that they have to share some of that information , including information about someone ’ s health .
Usually , people think about health privacy in terms of the relationship they have with their doctors and clinicians who have to keep the vast majority of information confidential — both legally and ethically .
But the public health system is set up with different legal permissions and protections than a doctor ’ s office , and by nature , it thinks about ethics and patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it from the perspective of the mutual obligations we have towards each other and the need to protect well being , ” says Amy Fairchild , dean and professor in the college of public health at Ohio State University .
“ What you ’ re doing is weighing the risks to the individual against the harm to the person ’ s contacts and the rest of the population.
” The public health system is set up with different legal permissions and protections than a doctor ’ s office Legally , there are carve-outs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow public health officials to get information about a person ’ s health without their consent .
Individual privacy and the risks that can come from the disclosure of personal health information — like stigma — are still critical concerns for public health officials , Lee stresses .
They aim to collect the minimum amount of information possible to achieve a public health goal .
“ The principle is to collect and use the least amount of data possible , because it reduces harm , ” she says .
The information collected is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The balance between protecting individual privacy and collecting information that is critical to the public good changes over the course of a disease ’ s spread .
The amount of data public health officials need to collect and disclose changes as well .
Right now , the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating , and there is still a lot doctors and scientists don ’ t know about the disease .
Collecting detailed health information is , therefore , more useful and important .
That could change as the outbreak progresses , Lee says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starts to circulate in the community , it might not be as important to know exactly where a sick person has been .
If the virus is everywhere already , that information won ’ t have as much additional benefit to the community .
“ It depends a lot on the maturity of an epidemic , ” she says .
Digital tracking information is ubiquitous today , and that can make data collection easier .
In Singapore , where there ’ s extensive surveillance , publicly available data details where people with confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Iranian government built an app for people to check their symptoms that also included a geo-tracking feature .
When deciding to use those types of tools , Lee says , the same public health principles should still apply .
“ Should a public health official know where a person has gone , should that be public information — it ’ s not different .
It ’ s a lot easier to do that now , but it doesn ’ t make it any more right or less right , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and who they interact with is something public health officials have been doing for centuries .
It ’ s just easier with digital information.
” In addition , just because personal information about a person and their health is important to a public health official , it doesn ’ t mean that information is important for the general public .
It ’ s why , despite questioning from reporters , public health officials only gave out a limited amount of information on the people who had the first few cases of COVID-19 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US , health departments used to publish the names of people with confirmed cases of the illness in the newspapers — a practice that would be far out of bounds today .
But that didn ’ t stop people in the US from trying to find out information about the few cases of Ebola in the country during the 2014 outbreak .
People didn ’ t need that information to protect themselves , though .
“ Having someone ’ s name doesn ’ t protect you , ” Fairchild says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of public health surveillance .
There are emotional reasons that the public may want to know — but it doesn ’ t protect you , and shouldn ’ t change what you ’ re doing.
” Health officials worry about the stigmatization of individuals or communities affected by diseases , which is why they aim to disclose only necessary information to the public .
Anti-Asian racism in the US and other countries around the world spiked with the outbreak because the novel coronavirus originated in China .
People who were on cruise ships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls from strangers when they returned home , and residents of New Rochelle , New York , which is the first containment zone in the US , said that they ’ re worried about their hometown being forever associated with the virus .
“ This kind of group-level harm is concerning , ” Lee says .
“ That ’ s why we worry about group identity privacy , as well .
I ’ m nervous and sad to see that starting to poke its head out.
” People can ’ t expect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health emergencies involving infectious diseases as they can in other elements of their health .
But the actions public health officials can take , like collecting information , aren ’ t designed to limit privacy , Fairchild says .
“ It ’ s to protect the broader population .
The principle we embrace is the principle of reciprocity .
We recognize that our liberty is limited , but we are doing that for others .
”

During a disease outbreak, one of the best tools at the disposal of public health officials is low-tech detective work. When a person is diagnosed with an illness like COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, public health experts figure out where they’ve recently been and track down everyone they’ve been in contact with.
“Sometimes it requires we know private information about a person who has been infected,” says Lisa Lee, director of the division of Scholarly Integrity and Research Compliance at Virginia Tech and former executive director of the Obama administration’s Presidential Bioethics Commission.
The new coronavirus is spreading through the US, and several states have made emergency declarations. The World Health Organization has declared it a pandemic. Here are the basics: Everything you need to know about the coronavirus
It also can mean that they have to share some of that information, including information about someone’s health. Usually, people think about health privacy in terms of the relationship they have with their doctors and clinicians who have to keep the vast majority of information confidential — both legally and ethically. But the public health system is set up with different legal permissions and protections than a doctor’s office, and by nature, it thinks about ethics and patient privacy differently.
“We think about it from the perspective of the mutual obligations we have towards each other and the need to protect well being,” says Amy Fairchild, dean and professor in the college of public health at Ohio State University. “What you’re doing is weighing the risks to the individual against the harm to the person’s contacts and the rest of the population.”
The public health system is set up with different legal permissions and protections than a doctor’s office
Legally, there are carve-outs in health privacy laws like HIPAA that allow public health officials to get information about a person’s health without their consent. Individual privacy and the risks that can come from the disclosure of personal health information — like stigma — are still critical concerns for public health officials, Lee stresses. They aim to collect the minimum amount of information possible to achieve a public health goal. “The principle is to collect and use the least amount of data possible, because it reduces harm,” she says. The information collected is also used only for public health activities.
The balance between protecting individual privacy and collecting information that is critical to the public good changes over the course of a disease’s spread. The amount of data public health officials need to collect and disclose changes as well. Right now, the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating, and there is still a lot doctors and scientists don’t know about the disease. Collecting detailed health information is, therefore, more useful and important. That could change as the outbreak progresses, Lee says.
For example, as the virus starts to circulate in the community, it might not be as important to know exactly where a sick person has been. If the virus is everywhere already, that information won’t have as much additional benefit to the community. “It depends a lot on the maturity of an epidemic,” she says.
Digital tracking information is ubiquitous today, and that can make data collection easier. In Singapore, where there’s extensive surveillance, publicly available data details where people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are and have been. The Iranian government built an app for people to check their symptoms that also included a geo-tracking feature. When deciding to use those types of tools, Lee says, the same public health principles should still apply.
“Should a public health official know where a person has gone, should that be public information — it’s not different. It’s a lot easier to do that now, but it doesn’t make it any more right or less right,” she says. “Tracking where people go and who they interact with is something public health officials have been doing for centuries. It’s just easier with digital information.”
In addition, just because personal information about a person and their health is important to a public health official, it doesn’t mean that information is important for the general public. It’s why, despite questioning from reporters, public health officials only gave out a limited amount of information on the people who had the first few cases of COVID-19 in the US.
During the polio epidemic in the US, health departments used to publish the names of people with confirmed cases of the illness in the newspapers — a practice that would be far out of bounds today. But that didn’t stop people in the US from trying to find out information about the few cases of Ebola in the country during the 2014 outbreak.
People didn’t need that information to protect themselves, though. “Having someone’s name doesn’t protect you,” Fairchild says. “That’s generally the principle of public health surveillance. There are emotional reasons that the public may want to know — but it doesn’t protect you, and shouldn’t change what you’re doing.”
“Having someone’s name doesn’t protect you.”
Health officials worry about the stigmatization of individuals or communities affected by diseases, which is why they aim to disclose only necessary information to the public. Anti-Asian racism in the US and other countries around the world spiked with the outbreak because the novel coronavirus originated in China. People who were on cruise ships with positive cases reported fielding angry phone calls from strangers when they returned home, and residents of New Rochelle, New York, which is the first containment zone in the US, said that they’re worried about their hometown being forever associated with the virus.
“This kind of group-level harm is concerning,” Lee says. “That’s why we worry about group identity privacy, as well. I’m nervous and sad to see that starting to poke its head out.”


theverge--2020-03-13--Alex Jones ordered to stop selling fake coronavirus cures

New York attorney general Letitia James has ordered radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to stop claiming that InfoWars ’ products can protect against the novel coronavirus .
In a statement , the attorney general said that Jones marketed toothpaste , dietary supplements , and creams as being able to prevent or cure the virus .
“ [ Alex Jones ’ ] latest mistruths are incredibly dangerous and pose a serious threat to the public health of New Yorkers and individuals across the nation , ” the attorney general said .
In particular , Jones claimed that his Superblue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at point-blank range ” despite there currently being no cure or vaccine for the coronavirus , HuffPost previously reported .
When viewing the toothpaste ’ s product page , there is now a notice which says “ this product is not intended to diagnose , treat , cure or prevent any disease ” and adds that anyone who ’ s currently taking medication should consult their physician before using it .
The Verge has not been able to verify when this message was added .
“ As the coronavirus continues to pose serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has spewed outright lies and has profited off of New Yorkers ’ anxieties , ” the attorney general said in a statement , “ If these unlawful violations do not cease immediately , my office will not hesitate to take legal action and hold Mr. Jones accountable for the harm he ’ s caused.
” The action taken against Alex Jones is part of a broader push against companies trying to use COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , to sell their products or boost profits .
The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desist orders to two other companies that claim their colloidal silver products can treat the coronavirus , and it ’ s ordered the Jim Bakker show to stop marketing one of them .
Meanwhile , online platforms are also cracking down .
Facebook has banned ads that “ guarantee a cure or prevention ” for the virus , or which otherwise try to create a sense of urgency , like implying a limited supply .
Others have been struggling to prevent price gouging on necessary items like face masks and hand sanitizers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ its Marketplace platform can sell them , while eBay has banned their sale entirely .

New York attorney general Letitia James has ordered radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to stop claiming that InfoWars’ products can protect against the novel coronavirus. In a statement, the attorney general said that Jones marketed toothpaste, dietary supplements, and creams as being able to prevent or cure the virus. “[Alex Jones’] latest mistruths are incredibly dangerous and pose a serious threat to the public health of New Yorkers and individuals across the nation,” the attorney general said.
In particular, Jones claimed that his Superblue Toothpaste “kills the whole SARS-corona family at point-blank range” despite there currently being no cure or vaccine for the coronavirus, HuffPost previously reported. When viewing the toothpaste’s product page, there is now a notice which says “this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease” and adds that anyone who’s currently taking medication should consult their physician before using it. The Verge has not been able to verify when this message was added.
The new coronavirus is spreading through the US, and several states have made emergency declarations. The World Health Organization has declared it a pandemic. Here are the basics: Everything you need to know about the coronavirus
“As the coronavirus continues to pose serious risks to public health, Alex Jones has spewed outright lies and has profited off of New Yorkers’ anxieties,” the attorney general said in a statement, “If these unlawful violations do not cease immediately, my office will not hesitate to take legal action and hold Mr. Jones accountable for the harm he’s caused.”
The action taken against Alex Jones is part of a broader push against companies trying to use COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, to sell their products or boost profits. The New York Attorney General has already sent cease and desist orders to two other companies that claim their colloidal silver products can treat the coronavirus, and it’s ordered the Jim Bakker show to stop marketing one of them.


theverge--2020-03-13--Use your phone to call somebody, not just to read coronavirus news

This week has felt like a year .
One thing I ’ ve been thinking about is how most stories in tech — heck most news stories in general — tend to have a much shorter half-life these days than they used to .
Remember how T-Mobile is buying Sprint and how the legal hurdles are almost all fully cleared ?
It ’ s a gigantic realignment of the entire mobile industry and it has zinged by .
Hell — there was an impeachment trial this year and it feels like ancient history .
We ’ ve become used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having weirdly little immediate impact on our lives even when they ’ re hugely important .
Here ’ s another tech example : Huawei is still unable to use Google software or sell phones and networking equipment here .
That changes a lot .
Beyond what phones you can buy , it will alter the price and access of rural wireless service , has national security and trade implications , and could eventually change the way Google builds Android itself .
You can ’ t think about it every day , even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you just kind of dip in and out of the story when there ’ s a new development .
But the coronavirus is different — it refuses to get turned over in the news cycle and the effects are everywhere , every day .
It is frankly exhausting .
I have a tiny piece of advice , then : as the news comes in , you should read it with a different state of mind than your usual news consumption .
This isn ’ t a Twitter trend that will be forgotten next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your phone , think about the longer timeframe this story occupies and your place in it as a human with friends , family , and fellow citizens .
Consider taking another pass on your breaking-news notification settings .
We are all desperate for more information that will put this entire thing in context , help us wrap our heads around it and know what to do next .
But it ’ s okay to turn off some push alerts and instead choose when to read the news yourself instead of letting it pop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me : you ’ re not going to forget to look for what ’ s new .
And if that means that the next time you look at your lockscreen it ’ s a little barren of new information , that ’ s okay .
Use that moment to open your phone and check in with a loved one or a friend .
It ’ s a phone , after all — it was originally designed to help you communicate with people you know .
There ’ s an AT & T “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be made here about social distancing , somewhere .
As for me , I ’ m going to keep on writing about gadget news and computers in this newsletter and probably just a little less about the pandemic .
The Verge will of course continue its excellent coverage — yesterday we published an organized , comprehensive guide to help you find what you need to know .
I ’ ll link to lots of coronavirus stories , but write about it a little less myself .
Because there will still be new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and new ways regulators will propose changing your digital life .
Some of those stories will be directly related to the coronavirus — I ’ m very interested to see how this summer ’ s “ virtual ” developer conferences are going to work , for example .
Many others won ’ t be , and that ’ s okay too .
As Monica Chin eloquently wrote on the site yesterday , it ’ s okay to continue being interested in things like gadgets and tech even during a pandemic .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep paying attention to the rest of life .
Monica puts it better : See you next week .
┏ Dr Disrespect is the villain who could change the future of TV .
Great profile from Bijan Stephen : ┏ New MacBook models with scissor-switch keyboards are reportedly coming soon .
Can ’ t come soon enough .
But it also puts Apple in a bind : if it does indeed have an ARM Mac waiting in the wings , should people wait for that ?
There ’ s a lot of pent-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perhaps some of those customers would be better served by waiting for an ARM-based Mac .
Then again , this is a debate about Apple releasing too many Macs in one year instead of a debate about whether and when Apple will bother updating Macs at ALL , so maybe I shouldn ’ t complain about choice .
┏ Mario makes the jump to Lego with new interactive sets .
These look positively joyful .
┏ US delays full Huawei ban yet again until May 15th .
┏ ACLU sues for records on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely that it ’ s getting used more than you know and used in ways that it shouldn ’ t be .
┏ Tag Heuer ’ s third-generation luxury smartwatch gets more sensors and a refined redesign .
They got rid of the modularization idea to make it thinner and got rid of the trade-in-when-it ’ s-out-of-date-for-a-real-mechanical-watch program because honestly everybody knows only rich people who want to spend money on silly things would buy this anyway , so a trade in program that would save you a measly $ 2,000 or whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less likely to buy this watch .
Where was I ?
Oh , yeah , it finally has sensors that should pretty much be standard on any smartwatch .
But it ’ s also running Wear OS — a platform that needs radical changes in the near future .
┏ A new Twitter client finally gives us the power to edit tweets — sort of .
The “ edit ” feature is a delay between when you hit tweet and when it posts .
I might be interested in that .
But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works exactly how I want a tweet deletion service to work : ┏ A guide to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Here ’ s our full guide from the Verge Science team and beyond — there is a ton of helpful information here .
Bookmark it and use it as a reference whenever you need .
┏ You can care about COVID-19 and also be sad when things are canceled .
Here are more things that have been cancelled , paused , delayed , or made virtual : March Madness , the NHL , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Build developer conference , the Call of Duty League , Broadway , Disneyland and Disney World , an appropriate amount of your personal health data privacy , and these memes .
Sephora , however : not canceled .
┏ AT & T is suspending broadband data caps for home internet customers due to coronavirus .
As Motherboard notes in its story here , home broadband data caps are mostly about jacking up prices , not actually managing congestion .
┏ Comcast modestly raises slow internet speeds for low-income customers .
A modest bump @ @ @ @ @

This week has felt like a year. One thing I’ve been thinking about is how most stories in tech — heck most news stories in general — tend to have a much shorter half-life these days than they used to. Remember how T-Mobile is buying Sprint and how the legal hurdles are almost all fully cleared? It’s a gigantic realignment of the entire mobile industry and it has zinged by. Hell — there was an impeachment trial this year and it feels like ancient history.
We’ve become used to stories lasting a day or two and having weirdly little immediate impact on our lives even when they’re hugely important. Here’s another tech example: Huawei is still unable to use Google software or sell phones and networking equipment here.
That changes a lot. Beyond what phones you can buy, it will alter the price and access of rural wireless service, has national security and trade implications, and could eventually change the way Google builds Android itself. You can’t think about it every day, even if you’re into tech, so you just kind of dip in and out of the story when there’s a new development.
But the coronavirus is different — it refuses to get turned over in the news cycle and the effects are everywhere, every day. It is frankly exhausting. I have a tiny piece of advice, then: as the news comes in, you should read it with a different state of mind than your usual news consumption. This isn’t a Twitter trend that will be forgotten next week. As you consume news on your phone, think about the longer timeframe this story occupies and your place in it as a human with friends, family, and fellow citizens.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers, software, and tech by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important tech news of the day from The Verge. You can read an archive of Processor newsletters here and subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here! Subscribe
By subscribing, you are agreeing to receive a daily newsletter from The Verge that highlights top stories of the day, as well as occasional messages from sponsors and / or partners of The Verge.
Consider taking another pass on your breaking-news notification settings. We are all desperate for more information that will put this entire thing in context, help us wrap our heads around it and know what to do next. But it’s okay to turn off some push alerts and instead choose when to read the news yourself instead of letting it pop up on your phone unbidden. Trust me: you’re not going to forget to look for what’s new.
And if that means that the next time you look at your lockscreen it’s a little barren of new information, that’s okay. Use that moment to open your phone and check in with a loved one or a friend. It’s a phone, after all — it was originally designed to help you communicate with people you know. There’s an AT&T “reach out and touch someone” joke to be made here about social distancing, somewhere.
As for me, I’m going to keep on writing about gadget news and computers in this newsletter and probably just a little less about the pandemic. The Verge will of course continue its excellent coverage — yesterday we published an organized, comprehensive guide to help you find what you need to know. I’ll link to lots of coronavirus stories, but write about it a little less myself.
Because there will still be new product launches, new software updates, and new ways regulators will propose changing your digital life. Some of those stories will be directly related to the coronavirus — I’m very interested to see how this summer’s “virtual” developer conferences are going to work, for example.
Many others won’t be, and that’s okay too. As Monica Chin eloquently wrote on the site yesterday, it’s okay to continue being interested in things like gadgets and tech even during a pandemic. More than okay, it’s important to keep paying attention to the rest of life. Monica puts it better:
Last November, my guinea pig died a few days after a close friend’s mother died, and I cried about my pet and then told myself I was an asshole for crying. I went to see Hamilton to take my mind off things, and I felt like an asshole for that, too. People are dying. But there is no value in pretending we don’t care, about guinea pigs or debate careers or basketball or Sony Xperia phones. There is even less value in trying not to. It is not panache; it is our nature.
See you next week.
Dieter
Verge Deal of the day Apple’s AirPods Pro are $30 off at Amazon Normally $250, the Apple AirPods Pro wireless earbuds are down to $220 at Amazon. Compared to the standard AirPods, these feature better sound quality and noise cancellation. We’ve seen these drop a bit lower in price before, but that’s a pretty rare occurrence. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy . Prices displayed are based on the MSRP at time of posting.
News from The Verge
┏ Dr Disrespect is the villain who could change the future of TV. Great profile from Bijan Stephen:
Over the course of two days, the cockpit of a helicopter has taken shape in the middle of a very large soundstage, an assemblage of ‘80s-era buttons and dials and a generous amount of black paint. It’s all because Doc is here to shoot a hype video for his latest announcement: he’s re-signed to Twitch for an exclusive two-year contract — for a lot of money.
┏ New MacBook models with scissor-switch keyboards are reportedly coming soon. Can’t come soon enough. But it also puts Apple in a bind: if it does indeed have an ARM Mac waiting in the wings, should people wait for that? There’s a lot of pent-up demand for a better keyboard, but perhaps some of those customers would be better served by waiting for an ARM-based Mac.
Then again, this is a debate about Apple releasing too many Macs in one year instead of a debate about whether and when Apple will bother updating Macs at ALL, so maybe I shouldn’t complain about choice.
┏ Mario makes the jump to Lego with new interactive sets. These look positively joyful.
┏ ACLU sues for records on facial recognition at the border. Seems likely that it’s getting used more than you know and used in ways that it shouldn’t be.
┏ Tag Heuer’s third-generation luxury smartwatch gets more sensors and a refined redesign. They got rid of the modularization idea to make it thinner and got rid of the trade-in-when-it’s-out-of-date-for-a-real-mechanical-watch program because honestly everybody knows only rich people who want to spend money on silly things would buy this anyway, so a trade in program that would save you a measly $2,000 or whatever isn’t making anybody more or less likely to buy this watch.
Where was I? Oh, yeah, it finally has sensors that should pretty much be standard on any smartwatch. But it’s also running Wear OS — a platform that needs radical changes in the near future.
While the older models offered GPS connectivity, the new model adds heart rate, compass, accelerometer, and gyroscopic sensors for far better fitness and sports tracking.
┏ A new Twitter client finally gives us the power to edit tweets — sort of. The “edit” feature is a delay between when you hit tweet and when it posts. I might be interested in that. But I am absolutely interested in this, which works exactly how I want a tweet deletion service to work:
Meanwhile, auto-delete allows users to choose between 24 hours, one week, or one month to have their tweets deleted, regardless of whether they were sent through Brizzly. If users do want to save certain tweets, they can do so with a feature called “Fave to Save,” which lets them set any number of likes as a threshold, and tweets that meet it will be saved from deletion.
Pandemic
┏ A guide to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s our full guide from the Verge Science team and beyond — there is a ton of helpful information here. Bookmark it and use it as a reference whenever you need.
┏ Comcast modestly raises slow internet speeds for low-income customers. A modest bump, but good nevertheless.


theverge--2020-03-13--How social networks can do good while we’re all trapped indoors

The Interface is a daily column and newsletter about the intersection of social media and democracy .
Subscribe here .
If Wednesday was the day where the full magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis became clear to many Americans , Thursday was the day that the country seemed to enter shock .
By now , a significant portion of the Silicon Valley workforce is working , or pretending to , from home , giving everyone near-unlimited time to refresh Twitter , Instagram , and other feeds for the very latest in what threatens to be a catastrophic few months .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that the country is finally implementing the social distancing measures that have been effective ( to varying degrees ) in China , South Korea , and Taiwan .
The NHL suspended the season , Major League Baseball called off spring training , and Disneyland closed for the month .
Schools everywhere are closing , some for the rest of the semester .
With luck , that mass national cloistering in our respective homes may mitigate the Trump administration ’ s terrible mishandling of the crisis .
The next several days are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ spread and flattening the curve of infection , reducing the burden on the nation ’ s healthcare system .
But make no mistake : it ’ s spreading .
On Thursday an Ohio health official estimated that 100,000 people in the state have been infected .
I had dinner with a friend who has been studying the crisis for work this week and he told me that , in all likelihood , either he or I would come down with the coronavirus .
One question you could ask , if you were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public health implications of the crisis , is how spending a month or two mostly indoors will affect American life — both in the moment and afterward .
We are social creatures , and we ’ re about to be deprived of much of that socialization .
Writing for Vox , Ezra Klein predicts a coming loneliness epidemic : As Klein points out , we can ease some of this burden digitally , through phone calls and video conferences .
Earlier this week , my friend Hunter Walk suggested the idea of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy hour ” on the video conference service Zoom .
We tweeted out a link , and around 50 people showed up to banter with us and show off their pets and babies .
We did it again the next day , and more than 75 people joined for an impromptu conversation with social network savant Eugene Wei and the New York Times ’ Shira Ovide .
Twitter ’ s vice president of product , Keith Coleman , and venture capitalist Alexia Bonatsos are on tonight at 5PM PT .
On Monday we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founder Jessica Lessin and New York Times legend Taylor Lorenz .
These calls have a small audience and are being conducted exclusively for the fun of it .
But in the age of quarantine , we should expect a lot more of this kind of modern-day appointment television .
The classical concert pianist Igor Levitt announced that he would be performing for free on Twitter Thursday evening , for example .
Discord upped the limit on the number of people who can join a free video call to 50 .
During its heyday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spend 10 minutes with them every day at noon Pacific time .
Between Zoom and Discord and all the other free live-streaming tools now available , this feels like the sort of time that a next-generation HQ might be born .
On Twitter I joked that our public Zoom calls were just Fortnite for adults .
And in Italy , where public life has come to a standstill as virtually all gatherings have been banned , Fortnite is indeed surging .
The battle royale shooter game , which quickly came to serve as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has become so popular in Italy that the company ’ s internet infrastructure is straining under the weight .
Here are Daniele Lepido and Niclas Rolander in Bloomberg : It ’ s good that young people are finding ways to socialize despite being quarantined .
Older people could stand to learn from their example .
( And the United States could work harder to close the digital divide that has kept broadband access from reaching all Americans . )
And what of our social networks , which were born promising to make us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anxiety-inducing , particularly if you stare at it for multiple hours per day the way I do , but in my opinion it has never felt more vital .
It ’ s particularly good at focusing attention on big , urgent issues , and COVID-19 is as big as any issue to come along in the company ’ s lifetime .
Yes , misinformation spreads there — I stupidly retweeted a satire site ’ s fake story saying hospital workers had rolled a volleyball into Tom Hanks ’ room , meant as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only to learn of my mistake later from BuzzFeed .
But for the most part , I find that it is serving up mostly high-quality journalism and important threads from public health workers and government officials .
Wearying though the site can be , I can ’ t imagine trying to make my way through the crisis without it .
Facebook — my News Feed anyway — feels a little thin by comparison .
Lots of pictures of , and commentary about , working from home .
Lots of notices about schools being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memes .
Twitter has the news , and Facebook has the fallout .
It ’ s fine , but it hasn ’ t really made me feel connected to anything .
But it ’ s different for everyone .
In Westchester County , NY , Lorenz reports , teenagers are getting their news from Instagram meme accounts .
The accounts I follow on Instagram — mostly friends I have met in person — appear to be ignoring the coronavirus almost entirely .
This is not a criticism .
People are going to need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , and virtual spaces will be all they have for a while .
Still , I continue to feel like every social product has a lot more that they can do here .
Mitigating the spread of misinformation , and taking steps to intervene directly in the crisis , have been welcome moves .
But the period of social isolation that is now crashing down on America will offer a new kind of test for our social networks .
And to pass it , we ’ re all going to need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending up : Apple signed an open letter opposing new legislation that ’ s rolling out across the United States , targeting the LGBTQ community .
Airbnb , Amazon , Google , and Uber all signed the letter as well .
Trending up : A disease tracker backed by the Gates Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is helping to trace the spread of the new coronavirus in Cambodia .
( Megan Molteni / Wired ) Trending sideways : Airbnb is denying refund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic .
The company is trying to balance the needs of travelers with those of hosts who depend on the bookings for income .
The Verge has a nice , constantly evolving guide to the spread of COVID-19 .
Amazon is restricting who can sell face masks and hand sanitizer due to coronavirus price gouging .
It ’ s a notable escalation in the company ’ s fight against coronavirus-related abuse on its platform .
( Nick Statt / The Verge ) These popular memes , which all show someone touching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( TC Sottek / The Verge ) Here ’ s a list of 28 dishonest comments Trump and his team have made about the coronavirus pandemic .
It seems unfair to focus exclusively on misinformation spread on social networks when the president himself is the source of so many false statements .
( Daniel Dale and Tara Subramaniam / CNN ) Coronavirus books plagiarized from news stories and written by authors with no identifiable science or medical backgrounds have dominated Amazon ’ s search results for the virus .
The listings show how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own platform .
( Ben Collins / NBC ) Criminal hackers have been sending fake coronavirus-themed emails designed to trick people into opening attachments that download malicious software .
Some messages look like they ’ re coming from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
( Ken Dilanian and Emmanuelle Saliba / NBC ) A fake photo of Tom Hanks in quarantine went viral after the actor announced he and Rita Wilson have coronavirus .
The photo , first published on a satirical website , showed Hanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Away .
( David Mack / BuzzFeed ) A dubious list of coronavirus tips is going viral on Facebook and Twitter .
It claims to be from Stanford University and contains loads of disinformation .
( Zoe Schiffer / The Verge ) A week after Etsy said it was removing coronavirus-themed products , listings for “ Immunity Tea , ” DIY hand sanitizer , and “ I survived coronavirus ” bracelets remained .
The listings have now been taken down .
( Kat Tenbarge / Business Insider ) Twitter has moved from encouraging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote work mandatory .
( Ina Fried / Axios ) Google employees miss the free food , gyms , and dry cleaning at company ’ s campus .
They ’ re being asked to work from home due to the coronavirus pandemic , which means less access to office perks .
I also miss my office perks btw !
!
( Blake Montgomery / Daily Beast ) Joe Biden is having his first virtual town hall after canceling live rallies .
Major League Baseball suspended all spring training in Arizona and Florida and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by at least two weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
( Bill Shaikin and Jorge Castillo / Los Angeles Times ) Broadway is suspending all of its shows for a month after New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo banned all gatherings of more than 500 people .
( Julia Reinstein / BuzzFeed ) Cleaning your phone isn ’ t actually the best way to protect against the threat of coronavirus .
But if you want to do it , this article tells you how .
( Joanna Stern / The Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ link about the coronavirus pandemic hurting travel influencers on Instagram .
But according to this article , some are continuing to post unabated .
Ok then !
( Sarah Frier / Bloomberg ) “ It ’ s Corona Time ” has become the go-to song for coronavirus memes on TikTok .
Who knew the pandemic needed an anthem ?
( Stacey Ritzen / Daily Dot ) ⭐Facebook and Twitter took down a network of accounts from trolls based in Ghana and Nigeria who were working on behalf of Russia to inflame racial tensions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had striking similarities to the Russian troll campaign of 2016 .
CNN ’ s Clarissa Ward , Katie Polglase , Sebastian Shukla , Gianluca Mezzofiore and Tim Lister report : The coronavirus pandemic might force presidential candidates to campaign almost entirely online .
That would give Facebook , Twitter , and Google more power over the election than ever before .
( Rob Price / Business Insider ) Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign announced their first “ virtual ” town hall to protect the candidate and supporters from coronavirus .
( Makena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what Kashmiris had to say about living through a seven-month internet shutdown .
“ This is what the totalitarian face of the world ’ s largest democracy looks like under the surface , ” one person remarked .
( Pranav Dixit / BuzzFeed ) ⭐Facebook contractors are being told to continue coming into the office even as full-time employees work from home , Sam Biddle reports at The Intercept .
This is a very tricky one : let contractors work from home and you dramatically increase the odds that users ’ private information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hype House , TikTok ’ s most notable squad , are embroiled in a legal dispute that threatens to split the community .
Some members are leaving to start a new collective .
( Hanna Lustig / Business Insider ) TikTok has been investing heavily in a new age of influencers in Africa .
It ’ s part of a concerted strategy for the youth-friendly app to get a major foothold in the world ’ s youngest continent .
( Alexandria Williams / Quartz ) A 71-year-old woman who goes by the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her battle with terminal lung cancer on TikTok .
She now has 1 million followers .
( Connor Perrett / Business Insider ) TikTok ’ s parent company , ByteDance , appointed two new leaders for its China business and set a goal to nearly double its global headcount to 100,000 by the end of the year .
( Yingzhi Yang and Brenda Goh / Reuters ) New Twitter client Brizzly+ lets users undo and auto-delete tweets .
The features are part of Brizzly+ ’ s subscription service which offers a robust toolset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Twitter publicly endorsed Brizzly , years after telling developers to stop building clients that replicate core features of the service .
( Sarah Perez / TechCrunch ) Magic Leap , the augmented reality startup that raised more than $ 2 billion , is exploring a potential partnership or sale .
It ’ s gauging interest from companies including Facebook and Johnson & Johnson .
If you want to buy it let me know and I ’ ll talk you out of it .
( Ed Hammond and Sarah Frier / Bloomberg ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and honestly just stay safe this weekend , we ’ re worried about you !
casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

If Wednesday was the day where the full magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis became clear to many Americans, Thursday was the day that the country seemed to enter shock. By now, a significant portion of the Silicon Valley workforce is working, or pretending to, from home, giving everyone near-unlimited time to refresh Twitter, Instagram, and other feeds for the very latest in what threatens to be a catastrophic few months.
The good news, if you squint, is that the country is finally implementing the social distancing measures that have been effective (to varying degrees) in China, South Korea, and Taiwan. The NHL suspended the season, Major League Baseball called off spring training, and Disneyland closed for the month. Schools everywhere are closing, some for the rest of the semester. With luck, that mass national cloistering in our respective homes may mitigate the Trump administration’s terrible mishandling of the crisis.
The next several days are likely to be crucial in slowing the virus’ spread and flattening the curve of infection, reducing the burden on the nation’s healthcare system. But make no mistake: it’s spreading. On Thursday an Ohio health official estimated that 100,000 people in the state have been infected. I had dinner with a friend who has been studying the crisis for work this week and he told me that, in all likelihood, either he or I would come down with the coronavirus.
One question you could ask, if you were desperate to turn your attention away from the public health implications of the crisis, is how spending a month or two mostly indoors will affect American life — both in the moment and afterward. We are social creatures, and we’re about to be deprived of much of that socialization. Writing for Vox, Ezra Klein predicts a coming loneliness epidemic:
Just as the coronavirus fallout threatens to cause an economic recession, it’s also going to cause what we might call a “social recession”: a collapse in social contact that is particularly hard on the populations most vulnerable to isolation and loneliness — older adults and people with disabilities or preexisting health conditions. A tension in the coronavirus response is that it’s so difficult to get people to accept social distancing that few want to muddle the message with worries about social isolation. But if the ultimate concern is the health and well-being of the most vulnerable, then both dangers need to be addressed.
As Klein points out, we can ease some of this burden digitally, through phone calls and video conferences. Earlier this week, my friend Hunter Walk suggested the idea of hosting a public “work from home happy hour” on the video conference service Zoom. We tweeted out a link, and around 50 people showed up to banter with us and show off their pets and babies. We did it again the next day, and more than 75 people joined for an impromptu conversation with social network savant Eugene Wei and the New York Times’ Shira Ovide. Twitter’s vice president of product, Keith Coleman, and venture capitalist Alexia Bonatsos are on tonight at 5PM PT. On Monday we’ll be joined by The Information founder Jessica Lessin and New York Times legend Taylor Lorenz.
These calls have a small audience and are being conducted exclusively for the fun of it. But in the age of quarantine, we should expect a lot more of this kind of modern-day appointment television. The classical concert pianist Igor Levitt announced that he would be performing for free on Twitter Thursday evening, for example. Discord upped the limit on the number of people who can join a free video call to 50.
During its heyday, HQ Trivia trained its fans to spend 10 minutes with them every day at noon Pacific time. Between Zoom and Discord and all the other free live-streaming tools now available, this feels like the sort of time that a next-generation HQ might be born.
On Twitter I joked that our public Zoom calls were just Fortnite for adults. And in Italy, where public life has come to a standstill as virtually all gatherings have been banned, Fortnite is indeed surging. The battle royale shooter game, which quickly came to serve as a virtual hangout for young people, has become so popular in Italy that the company’s internet infrastructure is straining under the weight. Here are Daniele Lepido and Niclas Rolander in Bloomberg:
With schools, shops and restaurants closed in an attempt to limit Europe’s worst coronavirus outbreak, the amount of data passing through Telecom Italia SpA’s national network has surged by more than two-thirds in the past two weeks, the company said. [...] “We reported an increase of more than 70 percent of Internet traffic over our landline network, with a big contribution from online gaming such as Fortnite,” Telecom Italia Chief Executive Officer Luigi Gubitosi said Wednesday on a call with analysts.
It’s good that young people are finding ways to socialize despite being quarantined. Older people could stand to learn from their example. (And the United States could work harder to close the digital divide that has kept broadband access from reaching all Americans.)
And what of our social networks, which were born promising to make us feel more connected? Twitter may be anxiety-inducing, particularly if you stare at it for multiple hours per day the way I do, but in my opinion it has never felt more vital. It’s particularly good at focusing attention on big, urgent issues, and COVID-19 is as big as any issue to come along in the company’s lifetime. Yes, misinformation spreads there — I stupidly retweeted a satire site’s fake story saying hospital workers had rolled a volleyball into Tom Hanks’ room, meant as a joke about Wilson from Cast Away — only to learn of my mistake later from BuzzFeed. But for the most part, I find that it is serving up mostly high-quality journalism and important threads from public health workers and government officials. Wearying though the site can be, I can’t imagine trying to make my way through the crisis without it.
Facebook — my News Feed anyway — feels a little thin by comparison. Lots of pictures of, and commentary about, working from home. Lots of notices about schools being closed and events being canceled. Some memes. Twitter has the news, and Facebook has the fallout. It’s fine, but it hasn’t really made me feel connected to anything.
But it’s different for everyone. In Westchester County, NY, Lorenz reports, teenagers are getting their news from Instagram meme accounts. The accounts I follow on Instagram — mostly friends I have met in person — appear to be ignoring the coronavirus almost entirely. This is not a criticism. People are going to need somewhere to go that is not the coronavirus, and virtual spaces will be all they have for a while.
Still, I continue to feel like every social product has a lot more that they can do here. Mitigating the spread of misinformation, and taking steps to intervene directly in the crisis, have been welcome moves. But the period of social isolation that is now crashing down on America will offer a new kind of test for our social networks. And to pass it, we’re all going to need to get creative.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: Apple signed an open letter opposing new legislation that’s rolling out across the United States, targeting the LGBTQ community. Airbnb, Amazon, Google, and Uber all signed the letter as well.
🔼 Trending up: A disease tracker backed by the Gates Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is helping to trace the spread of the new coronavirus in Cambodia. (Megan Molteni / Wired)
🔃Trending sideways: Airbnb is denying refund requests from people canceling trips due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company is trying to balance the needs of travelers with those of hosts who depend on the bookings for income.
Outbreak
Amazon is restricting who can sell face masks and hand sanitizer due to coronavirus price gouging. It’s a notable escalation in the company’s fight against coronavirus-related abuse on its platform. (Nick Statt / The Verge)
An essay:
I’m paralyzed with guilt and dread over my every move right now: Can I go to the grocery store? What about a friend’s house? In a couple weeks I’m supposed to fly to Florida to visit my dad and my grandmother, neither of whom are in good health; what if I get them sick? (But if I don’t go, what are the chances I never see them again?) Would it be extraordinarily selfish if I get on a plane to reach my girlfriend in the United Kingdom before any more potential travel bans are put in place?
On the misinformation front:
Here’s a list of 28 dishonest comments Trump and his team have made about the coronavirus pandemic. It seems unfair to focus exclusively on misinformation spread on social networks when the president himself is the source of so many false statements. (Daniel Dale and Tara Subramaniam / CNN)
Coronavirus books plagiarized from news stories and written by authors with no identifiable science or medical backgrounds have dominated Amazon’s search results for the virus. The listings show how little oversight Amazon has implemented on its own platform. (Ben Collins / NBC)
Criminal hackers have been sending fake coronavirus-themed emails designed to trick people into opening attachments that download malicious software. Some messages look like they’re coming from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Ken Dilanian and Emmanuelle Saliba / NBC)
A fake photo of Tom Hanks in quarantine went viral after the actor announced he and Rita Wilson have coronavirus. The photo, first published on a satirical website, showed Hanks posing with “Wilson” from Cast Away. (David Mack / BuzzFeed)
A dubious list of coronavirus tips is going viral on Facebook and Twitter. It claims to be from Stanford University and contains loads of disinformation. (Zoe Schiffer / The Verge)
A week after Etsy said it was removing coronavirus-themed products, listings for “Immunity Tea,” DIY hand sanitizer, and “I survived coronavirus” bracelets remained. The listings have now been taken down. (Kat Tenbarge / Business Insider)
On the office front:
Twitter has moved from encouraging employees to work from home to making remote work mandatory. (Ina Fried / Axios)
Google employees miss the free food, gyms, and dry cleaning at company’s campus. They’re being asked to work from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, which means less access to office perks. I also miss my office perks btw!! (Blake Montgomery / Daily Beast)
On the events front:
Major League Baseball suspended all spring training in Arizona and Florida and delayed the start of the regular season by at least two weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic. (Bill Shaikin and Jorge Castillo / Los Angeles Times)
Elsewhere:
Cleaning your phone isn’t actually the best way to protect against the threat of coronavirus. But if you want to do it, this article tells you how. (Joanna Stern / The Wall Street Journal)
Yesterday we included a link about the coronavirus pandemic hurting travel influencers on Instagram. But according to this article, some are continuing to post unabated. Ok then! (Sarah Frier / Bloomberg)
“It’s Corona Time” has become the go-to song for coronavirus memes on TikTok. Who knew the pandemic needed an anthem? (Stacey Ritzen / Daily Dot)
Governing
⭐Facebook and Twitter took down a network of accounts from trolls based in Ghana and Nigeria who were working on behalf of Russia to inflame racial tensions in the United States. The activity had striking similarities to the Russian troll campaign of 2016. CNN’s Clarissa Ward, Katie Polglase, Sebastian Shukla, Gianluca Mezzofiore and Tim Lister report:
One of the accounts even pretended to be the cousin of an African American who died in police custody. The post was then shared to a Facebook group called Africans in the United States. The group told CNN it had no idea that trolls were trying to engage it. Another also implied they were in the US, tweeting in February: “Just experienced blatant #racism in Downton (sic) Huntsville, Alabama ... Three of my black male friends were turned away because they were ‘out of dress code.’” There was a concerted effort to agitate in the US. One of the trolls — Black People Trendz — posted to the Facebook page of Black Lives Matter in Cincinnati. Another — @The_black_secret — was devoted to police shootings of African Americans. It also posted a video of a racial incident with the comment “Blacks have a right to defend themselves against Racism” that drew more than 5,000 reactions and more than 2,000 shares.
The coronavirus pandemic might force presidential candidates to campaign almost entirely online. That would give Facebook, Twitter, and Google more power over the election than ever before. (Rob Price / Business Insider)
Here’s what Kashmiris had to say about living through a seven-month internet shutdown. “This is what the totalitarian face of the world’s largest democracy looks like under the surface,” one person remarked. (Pranav Dixit / BuzzFeed)
Industry
⭐Facebook contractors are being told to continue coming into the office even as full-time employees work from home, Sam Biddle reports at The Intercept. This is a very tricky one: let contractors work from home and you dramatically increase the odds that users’ private information will be stolen.
Discussions from Facebook’s internal employee forum reviewed by The Intercept reveal a state of confusion, fear, and resentment, with precariously employed hourly contract workers stating that, contrary to statements to them from Facebook, they are barred by their actual employers from working from home, despite the technical feasibility and clear public health benefits of doing so. Discussions from Facebook’s internal employee forum reviewed by The Intercept reveal a state of confusion, fear, and resentment, with precariously employed hourly contract workers stating that, contrary to statements to them from Facebook, they are barred by their actual employers from working from home, despite the technical feasibility and clear public health benefits of doing so.
Members of the Hype House, TikTok’s most notable squad, are embroiled in a legal dispute that threatens to split the community. Some members are leaving to start a new collective. (Hanna Lustig / Business Insider)
TikTok has been investing heavily in a new age of influencers in Africa. It’s part of a concerted strategy for the youth-friendly app to get a major foothold in the world’s youngest continent. (Alexandria Williams / Quartz)
A 71-year-old woman who goes by the name “Grandma YoYo” has been documenting her battle with terminal lung cancer on TikTok. She now has 1 million followers. (Connor Perrett / Business Insider)
New Twitter client Brizzly+ lets users undo and auto-delete tweets. The features are part of Brizzly+’s subscription service which offers a robust toolset built on the Twitter API. Unusually, Twitter publicly endorsed Brizzly, years after telling developers to stop building clients that replicate core features of the service. (Sarah Perez / TechCrunch)
Magic Leap, the augmented reality startup that raised more than $2 billion, is exploring a potential partnership or sale. It’s gauging interest from companies including Facebook and Johnson & Johnson. If you want to buy it let me know and I’ll talk you out of it. (Ed Hammond and Sarah Frier / Bloomberg)
And finally...
Talk to us


theverge--2020-03-13--All 42 Apple Stores in China have reopened

Apple has reopened all 42 of its branded retail stores in China as of today , a company spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg and Reuters .
The stores had all shuttered in early February as China restricted travel in an attempt to slow the coronavirus outbreak , but they have been gradually reopening over the past few weeks .
Apple said that store closures in China , one of the company ’ s biggest markets , were a primary reason why it was forced to revise its quarterly guidance downward last month .
While the situation in China may be improving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere as the virus spreads around the world .
This week the company closed all 17 of its stores in Italy after the government put the country in lockdown .
“ It feels to me that China is getting the coronavirus under control , ” CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with Fox Business two weeks ago .
“ I mean you look at the numbers , they ’ re coming down day by day by day .
And so I ’ m very optimistic there.
” Cook went on to point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening factories , the closure of which had also caused Apple to lower its guidance due to projected supply constraints .

Apple has reopened all 42 of its branded retail stores in China as of today, a company spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg and Reuters. The stores had all shuttered in early February as China restricted travel in an attempt to slow the coronavirus outbreak, but they have been gradually reopening over the past few weeks.
Apple said that store closures in China, one of the company’s biggest markets, were a primary reason why it was forced to revise its quarterly guidance downward last month. While the situation in China may be improving, Apple is likely to be hit elsewhere as the virus spreads around the world. This week the company closed all 17 of its stores in Italy after the government put the country in lockdown.


theverge--2020-03-13--Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds combine noise cancellation and excellent sound

A little under a year and a half after it released its first pair of true wireless earbuds , Sennheiser is back with a follow-up : the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 .
The big improvements to the true wireless earbuds are that they support noise cancellation and have much better battery life .
There are also some more minor improvements , like the fact that these earbuds are 2mm smaller than their predecessors .
The improvements in battery life are , on paper , at least , pretty impressive .
You ’ ll now get up to seven hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up from four hours last time around ) , and using the case gets you 28 hours in total ( up from 12 ) .
Sennheiser also claims to have fixed the battery drain problems that some users reported with the first-generation earbuds .
It says it ’ s switch to a new Bluetooth chip that “ counteracts any power drain possibilities.
” Rounding out the specs , the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 come with support for the Bluetooth 5.1 , AAC , and AptX standards , an IPX4 water resistance rating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alongside their noise-canceling mode .
You can listen to just one earbud at a time , but the functionality only works with the right earbud , unfortunately .
They ’ ll retail for $ 299.99 ( £279.99 / €299.99 ) , the same as their predecessors .
We were impressed with the first-generation Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless when we reviewed them back in 2018 , noting at the time that they were the best-sounding true wireless earbuds we ’ d ever heard .
However , functionally , they left a little to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controls that were a little unintuitive at first .
And those battery drain problems were never fully addressed .
We ’ ll be checking out whether their successors have been able to overcome these problems in our full review , which will be on the way soon .
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 will be available in the US and Europe in black starting in April , with a white variant following later .

A little under a year and a half after it released its first pair of true wireless earbuds, Sennheiser is back with a follow-up: the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2. The big improvements to the true wireless earbuds are that they support noise cancellation and have much better battery life. There are also some more minor improvements, like the fact that these earbuds are 2mm smaller than their predecessors.
The improvements in battery life are, on paper, at least, pretty impressive. You’ll now get up to seven hours of playback from the earbuds themselves (up from four hours last time around), and using the case gets you 28 hours in total (up from 12). Sennheiser also claims to have fixed the battery drain problems that some users reported with the first-generation earbuds. It says it’s switch to a new Bluetooth chip that “counteracts any power drain possibilities.”
Image: Sennheiser Image: Sennheiser
Rounding out the specs, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 come with support for the Bluetooth 5.1, AAC, and AptX standards, an IPX4 water resistance rating, and have an audio passthrough mode alongside their noise-canceling mode. You can listen to just one earbud at a time, but the functionality only works with the right earbud, unfortunately. They’ll retail for $299.99 (£279.99 / €299.99), the same as their predecessors.
We were impressed with the first-generation Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless when we reviewed them back in 2018, noting at the time that they were the best-sounding true wireless earbuds we’d ever heard. However, functionally, they left a little to be desired, with flaky wireless connectivity and controls that were a little unintuitive at first. And those battery drain problems were never fully addressed. We’ll be checking out whether their successors have been able to overcome these problems in our full review, which will be on the way soon.
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 will be available in the US and Europe in black starting in April, with a white variant following later.


theverge--2020-03-12--Slack commits to paying contractors during shutdown after laid-off baristas protest

Slack says it will continue to pay contractors while its offices are shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The announcement comes after five baristas , who learned last week they were being laid off , wrote a letter to the company that they intended to make public on Friday morning .
The letter demanded three months pay and health care .
“ It ’ s hard to overstate how dangerous it is to lose both our salaries and our healthcare during a pandemic that is quickly spiraling out of control , ” the former employees wrote .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been one of my favorite jobs I ’ ve ever had.
” Many large tech companies have proactively offered to continue paying contractors or employees who can not return to work because of the shutdowns .
Slack had not publicly made the same commitment before now , leaving some of its workers worried that they would not have financial support and insurance during a health crisis .
Slack now says it will continue to pay contractors “ as per normal schedules ” for as long as its work-at-home period is in effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult time , and want to protect their health without risking their livelihood , ” a Slack spokesperson said in a statement .
The baristas will also receive the three months of pay and health care they requested , though they are still being laid off — at least for now .
A spokesperson says they will be offered full-time positions eventually , though it doesn ’ t currently have a timeline .
Slack says the barista layoffs are unrelated to the office shutdown .
The baristas are employed by a staffing agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had already contacted the company and made plans to end the baristas ’ employment this month before the shutdown happened .
The spokesperson said Slack planned to launch a “ vendor management program ” through which it will offer full-time positions .
Many large tech companies have announced plans to pay contract and gig workers Stewart Butterfield , Slack ’ s CEO , has since directed the company to “ accelerate ” the launch of this program and “ give all of the baristas the opportunity for full-time employment at the launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wages and access to healthcare until that time , ” according to the spokesperson .
The baristas had all been at Slack for a year or more and told The Verge that they felt like they were part of the company , even though they technically had a different employer .
They said they interviewed at Slack and were encouraged to refer to other employees as coworkers .
“ I loved working there .
It ’ s been one of my favorite jobs I ’ ve ever had , and from day one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just like everybody else who works there , ” Cara Bergman , a barista who ’ s been at Slack for nearly three years , said in a phone call .
Several tech giants have already announced plans to pay workers whose jobs are disappearing due to offices and services being shut down .
Microsoft , Facebook , Amazon , Google , and Apple all said they would keep supporting hourly workers , such as food service employees and security staff , where services have been suspended because of the coronavirus .
Instacart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced plans to support gig workers who can ’ t work because the virus .
Starting this week , Slack largely shut its offices down through the end of the month , encouraging all employees to work from home and fully closing some locations .
Butterfield said in a tweet that , as of Monday , Slack began adjusting to “ our new ( temporary ) existence as an all-remote company.
” “ Foremost for us is the health of our employees , customers , and the broader community , ” Butterfield wrote @

Slack says it will continue to pay contractors while its offices are shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement comes after five baristas, who learned last week they were being laid off, wrote a letter to the company that they intended to make public on Friday morning. The letter demanded three months pay and health care.
“It’s hard to overstate how dangerous it is to lose both our salaries and our healthcare during a pandemic that is quickly spiraling out of control,” the former employees wrote.
“I loved working there. It’s been one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever had.”
Many large tech companies have proactively offered to continue paying contractors or employees who cannot return to work because of the shutdowns. Slack had not publicly made the same commitment before now, leaving some of its workers worried that they would not have financial support and insurance during a health crisis.
Slack now says it will continue to pay contractors “as per normal schedules” for as long as its work-at-home period is in effect. “We recognize this is a difficult time, and want to protect their health without risking their livelihood,” a Slack spokesperson said in a statement.
The baristas will also receive the three months of pay and health care they requested, though they are still being laid off — at least for now. A spokesperson says they will be offered full-time positions eventually, though it doesn’t currently have a timeline.
Slack says the barista layoffs are unrelated to the office shutdown. The baristas are employed by a staffing agency contracted by Slack, and Slack says it had already contacted the company and made plans to end the baristas’ employment this month before the shutdown happened. The spokesperson said Slack planned to launch a “vendor management program” through which it will offer full-time positions.
Many large tech companies have announced plans to pay contract and gig workers
Stewart Butterfield, Slack’s CEO, has since directed the company to “accelerate” the launch of this program and “give all of the baristas the opportunity for full-time employment at the launch of our vendor management program and guarantee wages and access to healthcare until that time,” according to the spokesperson.
The baristas had all been at Slack for a year or more and told The Verge that they felt like they were part of the company, even though they technically had a different employer. They said they interviewed at Slack and were encouraged to refer to other employees as coworkers.
“I loved working there. It’s been one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever had, and from day one I was very much told I was just like everybody else who works there,” Cara Bergman, a barista who’s been at Slack for nearly three years, said in a phone call.
Several tech giants have already announced plans to pay workers whose jobs are disappearing due to offices and services being shut down. Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Apple all said they would keep supporting hourly workers, such as food service employees and security staff, where services have been suspended because of the coronavirus. Instacart, DoorDash, and Postmates have also announced plans to support gig workers who can’t work because the virus.
Starting this week, Slack largely shut its offices down through the end of the month, encouraging all employees to work from home and fully closing some locations. Butterfield said in a tweet that, as of Monday, Slack began adjusting to “our new (temporary) existence as an all-remote company.”


theverge--2020-03-12--Snap shelves partner summit plans and asks employees to work from home

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel has asked all employees to work from home and postponed the company ’ s planned partner summit , according to an internal memo seen by The Verge .
The April 2nd event for Snapchat developers , advertisers , and creators had already been moved to an online-only presentation amid coronavirus fears , but now the event has been postponed altogether .
“ We don ’ t feel like it would be appropriate to celebrate our partners in the midst of a global health crisis , ” Spiegel writes .
“ I am so grateful for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our team members working to make SPS possible — and I can ’ t wait to share all of the amazing things we have created when the time is right.
” Snap ’ s offices will remain open , despite most workers staying home ; Spiegel says the company is “ coordinating with team members in critical business functions who need to be in the office to ensure business continuity.
” The move is designed to “ create sufficient social distancing to protect our critical team members who continue working in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to slow the spread of COVID-19.
” Several tech companies have been recommending that employees work from home with varying degrees of severity .
Yesterday , Twitter mandated the practice for all workers worldwide .

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel has asked all employees to work from home and postponed the company’s planned partner summit, according to an internal memo seen by The Verge. The April 2nd event for Snapchat developers, advertisers, and creators had already been moved to an online-only presentation amid coronavirus fears, but now the event has been postponed altogether.
“We don’t feel like it would be appropriate to celebrate our partners in the midst of a global health crisis,” Spiegel writes. “I am so grateful for the tireless efforts and hard work of all of our team members working to make SPS possible — and I can’t wait to share all of the amazing things we have created when the time is right.”
Snap’s offices will remain open, despite most workers staying home; Spiegel says the company is “coordinating with team members in critical business functions who need to be in the office to ensure business continuity.” The move is designed to “create sufficient social distancing to protect our critical team members who continue working in our offices, while contributing to global efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.”


theverge--2020-03-12--Microsoft’s biggest event of the year goes virtual due to the coronavirus spread

Microsoft ’ s Build developer conference is the latest tech event to be affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
The software giant was planning on holding its annual developer conference in Seattle from May 19th to May 21st , but Microsoft has decided to make it a “ digital event.
” A Microsoft spokesperson sent along this statement : The safety of our community is a top priority .
In light of the health safety recommendations for Washington State , we will deliver our annual Microsoft Build event for developers as a digital event , in lieu of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing together our ecosystem of developers in this new virtual format to learn , connect and code together .
Stay tuned for more details to come .
Build is one of Microsoft ’ s biggest news events of the year , despite being primarily focused on developers .
The software maker typically uses Build to preview the latest changes to Windows , Office , and other software and services .
Microsoft is planning on disclosing more about its dual-screen plans at Build this year , for both Android and Windows 10X .
Microsoft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar move to scrap its own I/O developer event and the many other events , sports seasons , and gatherings that have been canceled .
Doing so is an important step in improving public health and stemming the spread of the coronavirus , as Nicole Wetsman explains : Applying social distancing measures to the extent the system allows , though , is the best defense against the spread of the novel coronavirus , particularly without vaccines or treatments available .
The goal isn ’ t to eliminate the disease entirely , but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During a pandemic , that can mean the difference between a severe outbreak and one that ’ s more manageable .
How exactly each big tech company will pivot its conference to a virtual one remains to be seen .
Summer developer conferences are a place for big keynotes and announcements , but they ’ re also essential for developers who get a chance to mingle with engineers who work on big platforms and with each other .

Microsoft’s Build developer conference is the latest tech event to be affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The software giant was planning on holding its annual developer conference in Seattle from May 19th to May 21st, but Microsoft has decided to make it a “digital event.” A Microsoft spokesperson sent along this statement:
The safety of our community is a top priority. In light of the health safety recommendations for Washington State, we will deliver our annual Microsoft Build event for developers as a digital event, in lieu of an in-person event. We look forward to bringing together our ecosystem of developers in this new virtual format to learn, connect and code together. Stay tuned for more details to come.
The new coronavirus is spreading through the US, and several states have made emergency declarations. The World Health Organization has declared it a pandemic. Here are the basics: Everything you need to know about the coronavirus
Build is one of Microsoft’s biggest news events of the year, despite being primarily focused on developers. The software maker typically uses Build to preview the latest changes to Windows, Office, and other software and services. Microsoft is planning on disclosing more about its dual-screen plans at Build this year, for both Android and Windows 10X.
Microsoft’s cancelation follows Google’s similar move to scrap its own I/O developer event and the many other events, sports seasons, and gatherings that have been canceled. Doing so is an important step in improving public health and stemming the spread of the coronavirus, as Nicole Wetsman explains:
Applying social distancing measures to the extent the system allows, though, is the best defense against the spread of the novel coronavirus, particularly without vaccines or treatments available. The goal isn’t to eliminate the disease entirely, but to keep cases from appearing all at once. During a pandemic, that can mean the difference between a severe outbreak and one that’s more manageable.


theverge--2020-03-13--Comcast and T-Mobile to suspend internet data caps for the next 60 days

Comcast and T-Mobile have announced suspensions of their internet data cap policies in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Comcast says it will no longer charge overage fees for home internet customers that go over its broadband data caps , while T-Mobile says it ’ s removing all data caps for its mobile customers .
AT & T and Verizon have taken similar measures .
“ During this extraordinary time , it is vital that as many Americans as possible stay connected to the internet — for education , work , and personal health reasons , ” Comcast Cable CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our employees also live and work in virtually every community we serve , and we all share the same belief that it ’ s our Company ’ s responsibility to step up and help out.
” Earlier today , the Federal Communications Commission announced that it had signed both Comcast and T-Mobile , as well as many other firms in the broadband and telecom industries , to its new Keep Americans Connected pledge .
The pledge asked that companies not terminate service for residential or small business customers , waive any late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus , and open access to public Wi-Fi hotspots to “ any American who needs them.
” It also asked these companies to suspend data caps due to the sharp spike in work-from-policies being implemented throughout the country to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 , the illness caused by the novel coronavirus .
After the FCC confirmed that Comcast and T-Mobile signed the pledge , both companies have come out and announced the steps they ’ re taking try and alleviate pressures on customers .
In addition to suspending data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will make its Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots free throughout the country and it will not charge disconnect or late fees .
Comcast yesterday announced it will increase the internet speed of its Internet Essentials tier , which is targeted toward low-income families .
T-Mobile , which is also instituting these new policies for a 60-day period , says its suspending data caps , giving customers 20GB of additional hotspot / tethering data , increasing the data allowance given to schools and students who rely on its EmpowerED program , and making it free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the coronavirus .

Comcast and T-Mobile have announced suspensions of their internet data cap policies in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Comcast says it will no longer charge overage fees for home internet customers that go over its broadband data caps, while T-Mobile says it’s removing all data caps for its mobile customers. AT&T and Verizon have taken similar measures.
“During this extraordinary time, it is vital that as many Americans as possible stay connected to the internet — for education, work, and personal health reasons,” Comcast Cable CEO Dave Watson said in a statement. “Our employees also live and work in virtually every community we serve, and we all share the same belief that it’s our Company’s responsibility to step up and help out.”
Earlier today, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it had signed both Comcast and T-Mobile, as well as many other firms in the broadband and telecom industries, to its new Keep Americans Connected pledge. The pledge asked that companies not terminate service for residential or small business customers, waive any late fees incurred due to the economic effects of the virus, and open access to public Wi-Fi hotspots to “any American who needs them.”
It also asked these companies to suspend data caps due to the sharp spike in work-from-policies being implemented throughout the country to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. After the FCC confirmed that Comcast and T-Mobile signed the pledge, both companies have come out and announced the steps they’re taking try and alleviate pressures on customers.
In addition to suspending data caps for 60 days, Comcast says it will make its Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots free throughout the country and it will not charge disconnect or late fees. Comcast yesterday announced it will increase the internet speed of its Internet Essentials tier, which is targeted toward low-income families.


theverge--2020-03-13--Elon Musk underplays coronavirus threat, tells employees that car crashes are more dangerous

Elon Musk sent a memo to SpaceX employees on Friday underplaying the dangers of COVID-19 , the illness caused by the novel coronavirus , which is now considered a pandemic , according to a report from BuzzFeed News .
Musk ’ s email , sent earlier today , told employees of the space transport company that they were far more likely to die from a car crash than COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
He also said that , based on the evidence he had seen about COVID-19 , he doesn ’ t think it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks in the United States.
” The email follows a tweet Musk sent last week saying “ the coronavirus panic is dumb.
” SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Musk ’ s views on the novel coronavirus pandemic are contradicted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , the latter of which declared the coronavirus a pandemic earlier this week .
As BuzzFeed notes , car crashes are also not a viral infection that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the report say Musk ’ s comments are both disingenuous and dangerous .
Health officials estimate that , in a worst-case scenario , between 160 million and 214 million Americans may become infected with COVID-19 if the disease is not adequately contained in the coming weeks and months , The New York Times reports .
Of those infected , as many as 1.7 million may die .
Additionally , tens of millions of people may require hospitalization to treat COVID-19 , a situation that may overwhelm the nation ’ s health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the CDC says there are 1,629 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 41 deaths in the US .
But due to a lack of testing , the number of cases in the US is likely to be far higher .
Musk ’ s statements regarding COVID-19 come at a time when the auto industry , like many other sectors of the US economy , has begun restricting operations to help reduce the spread of the virus .
Ford , General Motors , and Fiat Chrysler have all started instructing non-factory employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and automakers are considering the possibility of factory shutdowns in the future as the virus continues to spread and Chinese supply chain disruptions further complicate vehicle production .
Tesla , Musk ’ s other company , did not respond to a request for comment regarding its remote work policies in response to the pandemic .
But according to a leaked memo obtained by Business Insider , Tesla did tell employees to self-quarantine if they recently returned from travel to Italy , China , South Korea , Iran , Malaysia , Singapore , @ @ @

Elon Musk sent a memo to SpaceX employees on Friday underplaying the dangers of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, which is now considered a pandemic, according to a report from BuzzFeed News.
Musk’s email, sent earlier today, told employees of the space transport company that they were far more likely to die from a car crash than COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. He also said that, based on the evidence he had seen about COVID-19, he doesn’t think it’s “within the top 100 health risks in the United States.” The email follows a tweet Musk sent last week saying “the coronavirus panic is dumb.” SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Musk’s views on the novel coronavirus pandemic are contradicted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the latter of which declared the coronavirus a pandemic earlier this week. As BuzzFeed notes, car crashes are also not a viral infection that can spread exponentially, and health experts quoted in the report say Musk’s comments are both disingenuous and dangerous.
Health officials estimate that, in a worst-case scenario, between 160 million and 214 million Americans may become infected with COVID-19 if the disease is not adequately contained in the coming weeks and months, The New York Times reports. Of those infected, as many as 1.7 million may die.
Musk called coronavirus panic ‘dumb’
Additionally, tens of millions of people may require hospitalization to treat COVID-19, a situation that may overwhelm the nation’s health care and medical treatment systems. Right now, the CDC says there are 1,629 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 41 deaths in the US. But due to a lack of testing, the number of cases in the US is likely to be far higher.
Musk’s statements regarding COVID-19 come at a time when the auto industry, like many other sectors of the US economy, has begun restricting operations to help reduce the spread of the virus. Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler have all started instructing non-factory employees in the US to work from home, and automakers are considering the possibility of factory shutdowns in the future as the virus continues to spread and Chinese supply chain disruptions further complicate vehicle production.


theverge--2020-03-13--Contrary to Trump’s claim, Google is not building a nationwide coronavirus screening website

Google is not working with the US government in building a nationwide website to help people determine whether and how to get a novel coronavirus test , despite what President Donald Trump said in the course of issuing an emergency declaration for the coronavirus pandemic .
Instead , a much smaller trial website made by another division of Alphabet , Google ’ s parent company , is going up .
It will only be able to direct people to testing facilities in the Bay Area .
More than an hour after Trump ’ s press conference , a Google communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Verily , which is a different company inside the Alphabet corporate umbrella : Carolyn Wang , communications lead for Verily , told The Verge that the “ triage website ” was initially only going to be made available to health care workers instead of the general public .
Now that it has been announced the way it was , however , anybody will be able to visit it , she said .
But the tool will only be able to direct people to “ pilot sites ” for testing in the Bay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expand it beyond California “ over time.
” The triage site should be put live within a few days , and it will be hosted at Project Baseline , the Verily website where people can sign up to take part in clinical trials .
That ’ s a seemingly odd place for the triage tool to live , but Wang says that Project Baseline already has certain necessary tools like an informed consent agreement , so it makes sense to put it there .
“ Google is going to develop a website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very quickly done , unlike websites of the past — to determine if a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location , ” Trump said at the press conference .
“ We have many , many locations behind us , by the way .
We cover this country and large parts of the world , by the way .
We ’ re not gon na be talking about the world right now , but we cover very , very strongly our country .
Stores in virtually every location @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this right now .
They have made tremendous progress.
” As for the 1,700 Google engineers Trump referenced in the press conference , that appears to be related to a call for volunteers Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai put out in a company-wide memo earlier this week .
In all , the difference between the reality of what is being built and what was promised during the press conference is very large .
Debbie Birx , the White House coronavirus response coordinator , showed a flowchart during the press conference that explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be .
Nobody from Alphabet or Google spoke at the event , although many executives from other health and retail companies did .
As Birx described the website , citizens would be able to enter their symptoms and , depending on what the results are , be directed to a “ drive thru ” testing facility .
That same website would apparently also be where people can go to find their results .
Unfortunately , we don ’ t know much about the website Birx described — not its URL , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will work .
The only thing we do know is that Google did not build it ; it is being built by another division of Alphabet instead .
Alongside the website , the president ’ s emergency declaration should open up to $ 50 billion in funding , new testing facilities , and new partnerships with private companies to provide testing services .
You can read more on the government ’ s response in our story .
Update March 13th , 6:15PM ET : Added clarification that Google is not building the website @ @ @

Google is not working with the US government in building a nationwide website to help people determine whether and how to get a novel coronavirus test, despite what President Donald Trump said in the course of issuing an emergency declaration for the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, a much smaller trial website made by another division of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is going up. It will only be able to direct people to testing facilities in the Bay Area.
More than an hour after Trump’s press conference, a Google communications Twitter account passed along the following statement from Verily, which is a different company inside the Alphabet corporate umbrella:
We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing. Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time. We appreciate the support of government officials and industry partners and thank the Google engineers who have volunteered to be part of this effort.
Carolyn Wang, communications lead for Verily, told The Verge that the “triage website” was initially only going to be made available to health care workers instead of the general public. Now that it has been announced the way it was, however, anybody will be able to visit it, she said. But the tool will only be able to direct people to “pilot sites” for testing in the Bay Area, though Wang says Verily hopes to expand it beyond California “over time.”
The triage site should be put live within a few days, and it will be hosted at Project Baseline, the Verily website where people can sign up to take part in clinical trials. That’s a seemingly odd place for the triage tool to live, but Wang says that Project Baseline already has certain necessary tools like an informed consent agreement, so it makes sense to put it there.
“Google is going to develop a website — it’s going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past — to determine if a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location,” Trump said at the press conference. “We have many, many locations behind us, by the way. We cover this country and large parts of the world, by the way. We’re not gonna be talking about the world right now, but we cover very, very strongly our country. Stores in virtually every location. Google has 1,700 engineers working on this right now. They have made tremendous progress.”
As for the 1,700 Google engineers Trump referenced in the press conference, that appears to be related to a call for volunteers Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai put out in a company-wide memo earlier this week.
In all, the difference between the reality of what is being built and what was promised during the press conference is very large.
Debbie Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, showed a flowchart during the press conference that explained what the proposed functionality of the website would be. Nobody from Alphabet or Google spoke at the event, although many executives from other health and retail companies did.
The new coronavirus is spreading through the US, and several states have made emergency declarations. The World Health Organization has declared it a pandemic. Here are the basics: Everything you need to know about the coronavirus
As Birx described the website, citizens would be able to enter their symptoms and, depending on what the results are, be directed to a “drive thru” testing facility. That same website would apparently also be where people can go to find their results.
Unfortunately, we don’t know much about the website Birx described — not its URL, when it will launch, or how it will work. The only thing we do know is that Google did not build it; it is being built by another division of Alphabet instead.
Alongside the website, the president’s emergency declaration should open up to $50 billion in funding, new testing facilities, and new partnerships with private companies to provide testing services. You can read more on the government’s response in our story.
Update March 13th, 5:30PM ET: Updated with Google’s tweet