theverge--2020-08-07--In She Dies Tomorrow, figuring out how to spend your last day is really damn hard

A woman jolts awake and gasps for air in a nondescript living room .
She can ’ t explain why , but she ’ s certain of one thing : she only has one more day to live .
So she tells her friend , Jane , and something horrifying happens : Jane also becomes certain the next day will be her last .
This strange conviction , it turns out , is contagious .
And it ’ ll infect many more before tomorrow actually comes .
Written and directed by Amy Seimetz , She Dies Tomorrow is a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that suggests something propulsive — a thriller , perhaps , or a nightmarish horror film .
Instead , it is contemplative , a psychodrama that introduces a simple unsettling idea to each of its characters and lets us watch as they become unmoored .
It doesn ’ t give definite answers to anything , but it is absolutely clear about one thing : everyone who says they are going to die tomorrow absolutely believes it .
She Dies Tomorrow is a house of mirrors , a film much more interested in the reflections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overly specific for you to ruminate .
Its characters all process the revelation at the heart of the film in strikingly mundane ways .
Amy ( Kate Lyn Sheil ) , the protagonist , mills about aimlessly , seemingly overwhelmed by the number of ways she could spend her last day , ends up whiling away the hours with morbidly mundane stuff like looking up urns or wondering if her skin could be made into a leather jacket .
Others , like Brian ( Tunde Adebimpe ) and Tilly ( Jennifer Kim ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve each been maintaining for the other ’ s benefit , agreeing that they were never going to work out as a couple and that they were going to leave each other as soon as it didn ’ t seem callous .
She Dies Tomorrow dances from existential dread to compressed breakup story to withering comedy from scene to scene .
The film takes the gravity of its premise and juxtaposes it with mundanity , and in doing so its characters all feel so silly and self-absorbed .
Then the idea infects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-absorbed .
Incomprehensibly big , destabilizing events have a way of warping everything around them , forcing everything into a new context .
She Dies Tomorrow arriving in the midst of a global pandemic that , among other things , inspires a general feeling of mundane helplessness gives the film a recursive quality : we are all surrounded by our own doom and the temptation of that doom is narcissism , to spend all of our time stunned by how our world is being rearranged .
We are all surrounded by our own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interested in resolution , but if you lean forward , you can find interrogation .
As each character is infected with the idea that their end is coming , they stare at the camera as barely discernible voices fade in and red and blue lights change the contours of their face .
We don ’ t know what ’ s going through their minds , but we can imagine : how are you living right now , and how is it different from the ways you ’ ve always lived ?
Is there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put the idea in your head that it has to be this way ?
“ Do you want to make out ?
” a man ( Adam Wingard ) asks Amy as they get high together and she tries to figure out what to do next on her last day .
She consents , but they eventually call it off before anything really happens .
It doesn ’ t feel right .
Nothing feels right .
And whether there ’ s an answer to the question of how right Amy or her friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will again .

A woman jolts awake and gasps for air in a nondescript living room. She can’t explain why, but she’s certain of one thing: she only has one more day to live. So she tells her friend, Jane, and something horrifying happens: Jane also becomes certain the next day will be her last. This strange conviction, it turns out, is contagious. And it’ll infect many more before tomorrow actually comes.
Written and directed by Amy Seimetz, She Dies Tomorrow is a new film with a title and a premise that suggests something propulsive — a thriller, perhaps, or a nightmarish horror film. Instead, it is contemplative, a psychodrama that introduces a simple unsettling idea to each of its characters and lets us watch as they become unmoored. It doesn’t give definite answers to anything, but it is absolutely clear about one thing: everyone who says they are going to die tomorrow absolutely believes it.
She Dies Tomorrow is a house of mirrors, a film much more interested in the reflections it offers you than in conjuring anything overly specific for you to ruminate. Its characters all process the revelation at the heart of the film in strikingly mundane ways. Amy (Kate Lyn Sheil), the protagonist, mills about aimlessly, seemingly overwhelmed by the number of ways she could spend her last day, ends up whiling away the hours with morbidly mundane stuff like looking up urns or wondering if her skin could be made into a leather jacket.
Others, like Brian (Tunde Adebimpe) and Tilly (Jennifer Kim) immediately lose interest in the charade they’ve each been maintaining for the other’s benefit, agreeing that they were never going to work out as a couple and that they were going to leave each other as soon as it didn’t seem callous. She Dies Tomorrow dances from existential dread to compressed breakup story to withering comedy from scene to scene. The film takes the gravity of its premise and juxtaposes it with mundanity, and in doing so its characters all feel so silly and self-absorbed. Then the idea infects me, and I feel silly and self-absorbed.
Incomprehensibly big, destabilizing events have a way of warping everything around them, forcing everything into a new context. She Dies Tomorrow arriving in the midst of a global pandemic that, among other things, inspires a general feeling of mundane helplessness gives the film a recursive quality: we are all surrounded by our own doom and the temptation of that doom is narcissism, to spend all of our time stunned by how our world is being rearranged.
We are all surrounded by our own doom
She Dies Tomorrow isn’t interested in resolution, but if you lean forward, you can find interrogation. As each character is infected with the idea that their end is coming, they stare at the camera as barely discernible voices fade in and red and blue lights change the contours of their face. We don’t know what’s going through their minds, but we can imagine: how are you living right now, and how is it different from the ways you’ve always lived? Is there a good reason for that? Who put the idea in your head that it has to be this way?


theverge--2020-08-07--Google training documents advise avoiding monopoly language

Alphabet and Google employees are trained to avoid using certain words and phrases in internal communications and “ assume every document will become public , ” according to a new report from The Markup .
But Google says the practice , which it describes as standard compliance training , has been in effect for years .
A document titled “ Five Rules of Thumb for Written Communications ” states that “ Words matter .
Especially in antitrust law , ” according to The Markup .
Employees across the company , including engineers , salespeople , interns , vendors , contractors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid the terms “ market , ” “ barriers to entry , ” and “ network effects ” ( the latter being a reference to how a social network gains value the more users it has ) .
The parent company “ gets sued a lot , and we have our fair share of regulatory investigations , ” one of the documents reads .
Google spokesperson Julie Tarallo McAlister said in an email to The Verge that the training documents are “ completely standard competition law compliance trainings that most large companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in place for more than a decade .
“ We instruct employees to compete fairly and build great products , rather than focus or opine on competitors.
” She pointed to similar employee compliance manuals from the American Bar Association and “ any large American ” company .
Employees are advised to never use the term “ market share ” The training documents described by The Markup outline some details of antitrust law , and one document advises using third-party data to describe Google ’ s “ position in search ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made for presentations or sales pitches .
Employees should “ use the term ‘ User Preference for Google Search ’ and never the term market share , ” according to that document .
Other documents suggest using alternate terms instead of “ market , ” such as “ industry , ” “ space , ” or “ area , ” and to use “ challenges ” rather than “ barriers to entry.
” The dangers of a company ’ s internal documents being used as evidence were on display last week during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House antitrust subcommittee , when communications between Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and CFO David Ebersman became public .
During a 2012 email conversation about possibly acquiring Instagram , Zuckerberg wrote , “ There are network effects around social products and a finite number of different social mechanics to invent .
Once someone wins at a specific mechanic , it ’ s difficult for others to supplant them without doing something different.
” Rep. Jerry Nadler ( D-NY ) said during the July 29th hearing that the documents show Facebook sought to buy Instagram @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the subcommittee ’ s investigation .
“ So rather than compete with it , Facebook bought [ Instagram ] , ” Nadler said .
“ This is exactly the type of anti-competitive acquisition the antitrust laws were designed to prevent.
” There are numerous ongoing antitrust investigations into how Google does business .
Attorneys general from 50 states and territories announced an antitrust investigation into Google ’ s advertising and search businesses last September , and last month , California reportedly opened its own antitrust investigation into the company .
During questioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Sundar Pichai said that the company tries to “ understand trends from , you know , data , which we can see , and we use it to improve our products for users , ” but he did not directly address antitrust concerns raised by members of the committee .

Alphabet and Google employees are trained to avoid using certain words and phrases in internal communications and “assume every document will become public,” according to a new report from The Markup. But Google says the practice, which it describes as standard compliance training, has been in effect for years.
A document titled “Five Rules of Thumb for Written Communications” states that “Words matter. Especially in antitrust law,” according to The Markup. Employees across the company, including engineers, salespeople, interns, vendors, contractors, and temp workers, are encouraged to avoid the terms “market,” “barriers to entry,” and “network effects” (the latter being a reference to how a social network gains value the more users it has). The parent company “gets sued a lot, and we have our fair share of regulatory investigations,” one of the documents reads.
Google spokesperson Julie Tarallo McAlister said in an email to The Verge that the training documents are “completely standard competition law compliance trainings that most large companies provide to their employees” and have been in place for more than a decade. “We instruct employees to compete fairly and build great products, rather than focus or opine on competitors.”
She pointed to similar employee compliance manuals from the American Bar Association and “any large American” company.
Employees are advised to never use the term “market share”
The training documents described by The Markup outline some details of antitrust law, and one document advises using third-party data to describe Google’s “position in search” and to never print or hand out slides made for presentations or sales pitches. Employees should “use the term ‘User Preference for Google Search’ and never the term market share,” according to that document. Other documents suggest using alternate terms instead of “market,” such as “industry,” “space,” or “area,” and to use “challenges” rather than “barriers to entry.”
The dangers of a company’s internal documents being used as evidence were on display last week during a hearing of tech company CEOs before the House antitrust subcommittee, when communications between Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and CFO David Ebersman became public. During a 2012 email conversation about possibly acquiring Instagram, Zuckerberg wrote, “There are network effects around social products and a finite number of different social mechanics to invent. Once someone wins at a specific mechanic, it’s difficult for others to supplant them without doing something different.”
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said during the July 29th hearing that the documents show Facebook sought to buy Instagram to reduce competition, a key focus of the subcommittee’s investigation. “So rather than compete with it, Facebook bought [Instagram],” Nadler said. “This is exactly the type of anti-competitive acquisition the antitrust laws were designed to prevent.”
There are numerous ongoing antitrust investigations into how Google does business. Attorneys general from 50 states and territories announced an antitrust investigation into Google’s advertising and search businesses last September, and last month, California reportedly opened its own antitrust investigation into the company.


theverge--2020-08-07--Vergecast: Samsung Unpacked, Google Pixel 4A review, and Apple’s new 27-inch iMac

The Vergecast is back to a phone-heavy discussion with a guest-heavy show .
This week on the podcast , hosts Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn bring in The Verge crew who have used the newest gadgets that were announced the past week , including the Pixel 4A , the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra , the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live , and an updated 27-inch iMac .
Deputy editor Dan Seifert , news editor Chris Welch , and video director Becca Farsace ( a Vergecast debut ) join the show to give their reviews and first impressions of these new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ format , so sit back and listen to Verge director ’ s commentary from this busy week of new tech .
• Apple and Google ’ s COVID-19 tracking system will make its full US debut in new Virginia app • We can ’ t skip steps on the road to a COVID-19 vaccine • Twitter blocked Trump campaign account from tweeting over COVID-19 misinformation • Facebook removes Trump post for falsely claiming children are ‘ almost immune ’ to COVID-19 • One tweet tried to identify a cop — then five people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump trying to control the FCC is a ‘ disaster , ’ says Sen. Ron Wyden • President Trump says he will ban TikTok in the US today • How the Trump administration could ‘ ban ’ TikTok • Apple is not interested in buying TikTok • Instagram launches Reels , its attempt to keep you off TikTok • Google announced Pixel 5 , Pixel 4a 5G , and Pixel 4a all at once • The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is Samsung ’ s big promise that it can fix its foldable future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is its screen • The new 27-inch iMac ’ s webcam isn ’ t just better ; it ’ s smarter • Scientists rename human genes to stop Microsoft Excel from misreading them as dates

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theverge--2020-08-08--Twitter and TikTok reportedly have had talks about a deal

Twitter has had preliminary discussions about a “ combination ” with TikTok , the Wall Street Journal reported , making the social media platform the latest possible suitor for the popular video-sharing app .
As the WSJ notes , it ’ s not clear whether Twitter would pursue a possible acquisition of TikTok , and any such deal would have big obstacles .
The biggest challenge to any deal is the Trump administration ’ s executive order from August 6th , which bars TikTok parent company ByteDance from handling transactions in the US .
The order takes effect within 45 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app a potential security threat , despite no evidence indicating ByteDance or TikTok has ever shared Americans ’ data with the Chinese government .
TikTok has said it plans to challenge the Trump administration ’ s order .
And then there ’ s Microsoft , the only company so far to publicly acknowledge it was in talks with TikTok owner ByteDance for a possible acquisition .
The WSJ says Twitter would be considered a long-shot in a bid for TikTok , with Microsoft the likely front runner in any deal .
Twitter is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WSJ ’ s sources say the social platform could be likely to face less antitrust scrutiny than Microsoft .
But Twitter also doesn ’ t have as much money as the software giant for a possible purchase .
Microsoft said in an August 2nd blog post that its CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to President Trump about a possible TikTok acquisition , which would include TikTok operations in the US , Australia , Canada , and New Zealand .
Microsoft said it expected its talks to wrap by September 15th .
Any deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US operations , according to the WSJ .
Twitter declined to comment .
A TikTok spokesperson said the company does not comment on market rumors .

Twitter has had preliminary discussions about a “combination” with TikTok, the Wall Street Journal reported, making the social media platform the latest possible suitor for the popular video-sharing app. As the WSJ notes, it’s not clear whether Twitter would pursue a possible acquisition of TikTok, and any such deal would have big obstacles.
The biggest challenge to any deal is the Trump administration’s executive order from August 6th, which bars TikTok parent company ByteDance from handling transactions in the US. The order takes effect within 45 days. The administration considers the Chinese-owned app a potential security threat, despite no evidence indicating ByteDance or TikTok has ever shared Americans’ data with the Chinese government. TikTok has said it plans to challenge the Trump administration’s order.
And then there’s Microsoft, the only company so far to publicly acknowledge it was in talks with TikTok owner ByteDance for a possible acquisition. The WSJ says Twitter would be considered a long-shot in a bid for TikTok, with Microsoft the likely front runner in any deal. Twitter is much smaller than Microsoft, and the WSJ’s sources say the social platform could be likely to face less antitrust scrutiny than Microsoft. But Twitter also doesn’t have as much money as the software giant for a possible purchase.
Microsoft said in an August 2nd blog post that its CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to President Trump about a possible TikTok acquisition, which would include TikTok operations in the US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Microsoft said it expected its talks to wrap by September 15th.
Any deal with Twitter would involve TikTok’s US operations, according to the WSJ.


theverge--2020-08-08--TikTok lawsuit against Trump administration could come as early as Tuesday

TikTok plans to sue the Trump administration over the president ’ s executive order banning the app in the US , and the company may file the lawsuit as early as Tuesday , NPR reported .
According to NPR , the lawsuit will argue the president ’ s action is unconstitutional because TikTok did not have time to respond .
The lawsuit also will allege that the president ’ s justification for the ban— that the company is a threat to US national security— is baseless , NPR reported .
Under the executive order the president signed Thursday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parent company ByteDance within 45 days , in order to “ address the national emergency with respect to the information and communication technology supply chain.
” “ The United States must take aggressive action against the owners of TikTok to protect our national security , ” the order reads .
A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment Saturday , and pointed to the company ’ s blog post on the matter .
“ We have made clear that TikTok has never shared user data with the Chinese government , nor censored content at its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This Executive Order risks undermining global businesses ’ trust in the United States ’ commitment to the rule of law , which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth .
And it sets a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets.
” The company said it planned to “ pursue all remedies available to us ” to ensure it was treated fairly .
It ’ s not clear how such a ban would affect ongoing talks between Microsoft and ByteDance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussions which Microsoft said would be concluded by September 15th .

TikTok plans to sue the Trump administration over the president’s executive order banning the app in the US, and the company may file the lawsuit as early as Tuesday, NPR reported.
According to NPR, the lawsuit will argue the president’s action is unconstitutional because TikTok did not have time to respond. The lawsuit also will allege that the president’s justification for the ban— that the company is a threat to US national security— is baseless, NPR reported.
Under the executive order the president signed Thursday, the US will block all transactions with TikTok parent company ByteDance within 45 days, in order to “address the national emergency with respect to the information and communication technology supply chain.”
“The United States must take aggressive action against the owners of TikTok to protect our national security,” the order reads.
A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment Saturday, and pointed to the company’s blog post on the matter. “We have made clear that TikTok has never shared user data with the Chinese government, nor censored content at its request,” the blog posts states. “This Executive Order risks undermining global businesses’ trust in the United States’ commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth. And it sets a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets.”


theverge--2020-08-08--Twitter testing quote tweet counts, formerly known as retweets with comments

In a move that may forever change what it means to be ratio ’ d , Twitter is testing some new language on tweet metrics , making quotes ( also known as retweets with comments ) visible on each tweet , the company confirmed Saturday .
“ A few months ago , we ’ ve made Retweets with Comments more visible when you tap to see Retweets on a Tweet , ” a Twitter spokesperson wrote in an email to The Verge .
“ This is available to everyone .
Now , we ’ re testing making Retweets with Comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ language ( Quotes ) to see if this makes them easier to access and more understandable.
” A Verge reader tipped us to the feature ’ s new name , which lists the number of times a tweet is quoted alongside likes and retweets : In May , Twitter tested the “ Retweet with comments ” counter with some iOS users , which listed the number next to a tweet ’ s “ Likes ” and “ Retweets ” tallies .
It made it much easier to find quoted replies to a tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with different user interface changes over the past few months that haven ’ t become permanent features ; it tried an ‘ original tweeter ’ label to highlight who started a conversation thread , a snooze feature for notifications , and an option to get notifications for replies to an individual tweet .
Twitter has previously said it ’ s refining its UI with an eye toward improving conversations among users .
The company ’ s director of product management Suzanne Xie said in January at CES that Twitter was thinking about some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform , such as “ getting ratio ’ d , getting dunked on ” when it introduced new updates .

In a move that may forever change what it means to be ratio’d, Twitter is testing some new language on tweet metrics, making quotes (also known as retweets with comments) visible on each tweet, the company confirmed Saturday.
“A few months ago, we’ve made Retweets with Comments more visible when you tap to see Retweets on a Tweet,” a Twitter spokesperson wrote in an email to The Verge. “This is available to everyone. Now, we’re testing making Retweets with Comments accessible directly on the Tweet and new language (Quotes) to see if this makes them easier to access and more understandable.”
A Verge reader tipped us to the feature’s new name, which lists the number of times a tweet is quoted alongside likes and retweets:
In May, Twitter tested the “Retweet with comments” counter with some iOS users, which listed the number next to a tweet’s “Likes” and “Retweets” tallies. It made it much easier to find quoted replies to a tweet.
Of course, Twitter has noodled with different user interface changes over the past few months that haven’t become permanent features; it tried an ‘original tweeter’ label to highlight who started a conversation thread, a snooze feature for notifications, and an option to get notifications for replies to an individual tweet.


theverge--2020-08-08--Kodak deal with US government to produce pharmaceuticals appears to be on hold

An agreement between the US government and Kodak to develop generic drug ingredients appears to be on hold , after the US International Development Finance Corporation tweeted that “ recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns.
” “ We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared , ” the agency tweeted , without specifying what the allegations were .
Kodak said Friday it was conducting an internal review of recent activity by the company in connection with a $ 765 million loan it would receive under the Defense Production Act to produce pharmaceuticals .
The company ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the deal was announced , CBS News reported , leading Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) to call for the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether there were any instances of insider trading .
Kodak , best known for its camera and film equipment , said it planned to create a new business arm called Kodak Pharmaceuticals to make ingredients that have “ lapsed into chronic national shortage.
” Kodak CEO Jim Continenza told The Wall Street Journal that he expected pharmaceuticals to become 30 to 40 percent of the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s plans included production of ingredients for drugs such as hydroxychloroquine , according to The Wall Street Journal .
President Trump has touted hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for COVID-19 , despite evidence that the anti-malaria drug has been ineffective against the virus .
Rep. Maxine Waters ( D-CA ) , chair of the House Financial Services Committee and other Democrats sent a letter to DFC head Adam Boehler August 4th asking why the agency was supporting a loan for Kodak , “ an organization that was on the brink of failure in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foray into pharmaceutical manufacturing , in its efforts to develop the capacity to produce up to 25 percent of domestic pharmaceutical components.
” The committee is asking to see all communications concerning the loan .

An agreement between the US government and Kodak to develop generic drug ingredients appears to be on hold, after the US International Development Finance Corporation tweeted that “recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns.”
“We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared,” the agency tweeted, without specifying what the allegations were.
Kodak, best known for its camera and film equipment, said it planned to create a new business arm called Kodak Pharmaceuticals to make ingredients that have “lapsed into chronic national shortage.” Kodak CEO Jim Continenza told The Wall Street Journal that he expected pharmaceuticals to become 30 to 40 percent of the company’s business. The company’s plans included production of ingredients for drugs such as hydroxychloroquine, according to The Wall Street Journal. President Trump has touted hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for COVID-19, despite evidence that the anti-malaria drug has been ineffective against the virus.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), chair of the House Financial Services Committee and other Democrats sent a letter to DFC head Adam Boehler August 4th asking why the agency was supporting a loan for Kodak, “an organization that was on the brink of failure in 2012 and was unsuccessful in its previous foray into pharmaceutical manufacturing, in its efforts to develop the capacity to produce up to 25 percent of domestic pharmaceutical components.” The committee is asking to see all communications concerning the loan.


theverge--2020-08-08--Facebook removes troll network posing as Black Trump supporters

Facebook removed dozens of accounts it says were part of a troll farm pretending to be African-Americans in support of President Donald Trump and QAnon supporters , the company said , for violating its policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior .
According to a report on its July enforcement activity , Facebook removed 35 Facebook accounts , three pages and 88 Instagram accounts for “ violating our policy against foreign interference , which is coordinated inauthentic behavior on behalf of a foreign entity.
” Activity by the pro-Trump network originated in Romania , Facebook said , and posted on Instagram using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pages had about 1,600 followers on Facebook , and about 7,200 people followed the Instagram accounts .
Facebook described the network in its report : The people behind this network used fake accounts — some of which had already been detected and disabled by our automated systems — to pose as Americans , amplify and comment on their own content , and manage Pages including some posing as President Trump fan Pages .
This network posted about US domestic news and events , including the upcoming November election , the Trump campaign and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , conservative ideology , Christian beliefs , and Qanon .
They also frequently reposted stories by American conservative news networks and the Trump campaign .
Facebook also removed several hundred fake accounts connected to conservative media organization Epoch Media Group , which it says spread conspiracy theories about the coronavirus .
That network included 303 Facebook accounts , 181 pages , 44 Facebook groups and 31 Instagram accounts , which had a combined 2 million followers .
According to Facebook ’ s report , the fake accounts were connected to TruthMedia , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform .
In addition to misinformation about the coronavirus and protests in the US , the accounts pushed various conspiracy theories .

The people behind this network used fake accounts — some of which had already been detected and disabled by our automated systems — to pose as Americans, amplify and comment on their own content, and manage Pages including some posing as President Trump fan Pages. This network posted about US domestic news and events, including the upcoming November election, the Trump campaign and support for the campaign by African Americans, conservative ideology, Christian beliefs, and Qanon. They also frequently reposted stories by American conservative news networks and the Trump campaign.


theverge--2020-08-08--TikTok discussions at the White House reportedly turned into a brawl between Trump advisors

President Trump ’ s advisors got into a “ knockdown , drag-out ” fight in the Oval Office late last week during discussions about a TikTok ban , the Washington Post reported .
Trade advisor Peter Navarro accused Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin of being soft on China , as Navarro pushed for an outright ban of the Chinese-owned video-sharing app , according to the Post , as Mnuchin had been arguing for a TikTok sale to a US company .
Navarro told the Post in a statement that President Trump relies on “ strong , often opposing views , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is true , it is critical for a strong America that ‘ what happens in the Oval Office , should stay in the Oval Office ’ so I have no comment on what is clearly a malicious leak riddled with hyperbole and misinformation.
” It ’ s the latest entry into the very weird state of affairs around TikTok , which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance .
A quick recap : President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday banning all transactions with ByteDance beginning September 20th .
TikTok said the order has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that it was issued “ without any due process.
” NPR reported Saturday that TikTok was preparing a lawsuit to challenge the order , which it may file as early as Tuesday .
It ’ s not clear how Trump ’ s executive order would affect a potential sale of TikTok , either in part or entirely , to Microsoft .
The software giant said in an August 2nd blog post that its CEO had spoken with President Trump and was “ prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time the company had confirmed reports it was in talks to acquire TikTok .
“ Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President ’ s concerns .
It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States , including the United States Treasury , ” the blog post reads .
It adds that the company expects to move “ quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok ’ s parent company , ByteDance , in a matter of weeks , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later than September 15 , 2020.
” The administration has threatened to ban the video-sharing app for several weeks .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on July 7th a ban was “ something we ’ re looking at.
” But TikTok US General Manager Vanessa Pappas said in a video August 1st that “ we ’ re not planning on going anywhere ” and the company is “ here for the long run.
” TikTok is a subsidiary of Beijing-based ByteDance , and has been scrutinized for its privacy practices and potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo has compared TikTok to Huawei and ZTE , two Chinese companies the Trump administration has designated as threats to US national security .
The president ’ s order asserts that Chinese-developed apps like TikTok “ threaten the national security , foreign policy , and economy of the United States.
” It cites the International Emergency Economic Powers Act along with the National Emergencies Act as providing the authority for the order , a somewhat unusual move for the White House to take .
According to a Friday New York Times report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese intelligence agencies used TikTok to access data from American users .

President Trump’s advisors got into a “knockdown, drag-out” fight in the Oval Office late last week during discussions about a TikTok ban, the Washington Post reported. Trade advisor Peter Navarro accused Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin of being soft on China, as Navarro pushed for an outright ban of the Chinese-owned video-sharing app, according to the Post, as Mnuchin had been arguing for a TikTok sale to a US company.
Navarro told the Post in a statement that President Trump relies on “strong, often opposing views,” when making decisions. “Because this is true, it is critical for a strong America that ‘what happens in the Oval Office, should stay in the Oval Office’ so I have no comment on what is clearly a malicious leak riddled with hyperbole and misinformation.”
It’s the latest entry into the very weird state of affairs around TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. A quick recap: President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday banning all transactions with ByteDance beginning September 20th. TikTok said the order has “no adherence to the law” and that it was issued “without any due process.” NPR reported Saturday that TikTok was preparing a lawsuit to challenge the order, which it may file as early as Tuesday.
It’s not clear how Trump’s executive order would affect a potential sale of TikTok, either in part or entirely, to Microsoft. The software giant said in an August 2nd blog post that its CEO had spoken with President Trump and was “prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States.” That was the first time the company had confirmed reports it was in talks to acquire TikTok.
“Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury,” the blog post reads. It adds that the company expects to move “quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, in a matter of weeks, and in any event completing these discussions no later than September 15, 2020.”
The administration has threatened to ban the video-sharing app for several weeks. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on July 7th a ban was “something we’re looking at.” But TikTok US General Manager Vanessa Pappas said in a video August 1st that “we’re not planning on going anywhere” and the company is “here for the long run.”
TikTok is a subsidiary of Beijing-based ByteDance, and has been scrutinized for its privacy practices and potential ties to China’s government. Pompeo has compared TikTok to Huawei and ZTE, two Chinese companies the Trump administration has designated as threats to US national security.
The president’s order asserts that Chinese-developed apps like TikTok “threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.” It cites the International Emergency Economic Powers Act along with the National Emergencies Act as providing the authority for the order, a somewhat unusual move for the White House to take.


theverge--2020-08-08--How Trump’s WeChat ban could devastate Apple’s Chinese business

President Trump ’ s executive order banning WeChat could have far-reaching consequences for almost the entire technology industry , thanks to the app ’ s parent company , Tencent , having investments in companies like Riot Games and other US-based brands .
But the ban could also have a big impact on Apple , which is deeply entrenched in China .
Apple has a significant Chinese customer base , and nearly all of its critical manufacturing and assembly partners are based there .
Trump ’ s ban might not only force Apple to remove WeChat from its App Store — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smartphone business — it could existentially change how Apple is able to build and sell new products in the future .
It ’ s hard to emphasize the prominence of WeChat in China .
As analyst Ben Thompson put it in 2017 , “ There is nothing in any other country that is comparable , particularly the Facebook properties ( Facebook , Messenger , and WhatsApp ) to which WeChat is commonly compared .
All of those are about communication or wasting time : WeChat is that , but it is also for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for paying for lunch ( try and pay with cash for lunch , and you ’ ll look like a luddite ) , for accessing government resources , for business .
For all intents and purposes WeChat is your phone , and to a far greater extent in China than anywhere else , your phone is everything.
” An iPhone without WeChat is effectively not a phone at all An iPhone without WeChat is effectively not a phone at all for the hundreds of millions of Chinese users that rely on the service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire iPhone business model relies .
If Apple can ’ t offer WeChat on the iPhone due to Trump ’ s ban , then its Chinese business will almost certainly evaporate overnight .
Apple is caught in a trap of its own making here , thanks to its locked-down platform .
A more open system , similar to Google ’ s Android , would let users install WeChat without Apple ’ s explicit approval .
It wouldn ’ t be ideal for Apple , but at least millions of Chinese customers could still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ / Tencent ban could have an even more dramatic impact on Apple by escalating the ongoing conflict between the United States and China , which have been embroiled in a trade dispute for years .
Apple has already started to feel the initial ramifications here : a 25 percent tariff on five parts for its Mac Pro desktops ; 10 percent tariffs on its chargers , the HomePod , AirPods , and Apple Watch ; a narrowly dodged 15 percent tariff on iPhones that could have raised the cost of Apple ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple physically can ’ t outsource its manufacturing anywhere else in the world ( and certainly not in the US ) .
Then-COO Tim Cook led a 2005 shift to “ just-in-time ” manufacturing that cuts down on excess inventory and constantly pumps out new products .
The result is that Apple today is almost exclusively reliant on Chinese manufacturers like Foxconn .
It ’ s so important to Apple that when factories shut down from COVID-19 , it caused hiccups down Apple ’ s entire supply chain — and may even have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lineup this fall .
While recent developments in India have attempted to lessen Apple ’ s need to exclusively build all of its hardware in China , it ’ s a drop in the bucket compared to what Apple builds in — and therefore , would have to export from — China .
Apple is caught in a trap of its own making But the trade deal still hasn ’ t been completed ( President Trump has indicated in recent interviews that the second phase of the deal is no longer a priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalation by Trump in targeting one of the biggest Chinese companies in the world could irreparably damage those trade talks .
Instead of getting a reprieve from those impending tariffs , Apple could be forced to bear the costs of all of them or face even higher import taxes should China escalate the trade war further in retaliation .
That ’ s all to say nothing of how important China ’ s business itself is to Apple .
As The Economist noted earlier this year , Apple made a total of $ 44 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than any other American company .
It ’ s already the third-largest contributor to Apple ’ s bottom line — in the company ’ s most recent Q3 2020 earnings , China accounted for roughly 15 percent of the company ’ s revenue .
And unlike Europe or the US , where Apple ’ s market share has been largely stagnant for iPhone and Mac adoption , China still has huge potential to grow for Apple , which only comprises around 9 percent of the total Chinese smartphone market ( which is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Xiaomi ) .
It ’ s not just iPhone sales , either : Chinese customers spent $ 1.53 billion in April on App Store purchases alone , a number that doesn ’ t even include other service revenue for Apple ( like iCloud or Apple Music subscriptions ) , which is a key part of Apple ’ s ongoing business strategy .
Apple ’ s already been struggling with continuing that growth in China in recent years as phone sales have slowed , something that the shuttering of stores due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple actually had to issue a rare update for its investors that lowered the company ’ s outlook because “ demand for our products within China has been affected ” by the virus . )
A stark reminder for Apple of how reliant it is on China Most of Apple ’ s paid services — like the iTunes Store , Apple Books , Apple TV Plus , Apple Arcade , Apple News Plus , and the Apple Card — aren ’ t available in China either .
That ’ s a big problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look toward recurring subscriptions to make up for a steadily saturated iPhone market .
Apple ’ s success under Tim Cook has been largely built on its expansion into China , both as a manufacturing hub and a significant customer base .
Trump ’ s WeChat ban could strike at that once-solid foundation , with the potential to shatter one of Apple ’ s biggest bastions of customers and its ability to manufacture almost any of its products .
Even if this does all blow over , it ’ s a stark reminder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is on China .
It ’ s also a reminder of how easily the precarious house of its hyper-concentrated manufacturing hubs , App Store policies , and international business deals can fall apart — and potentially , take a huge chunk of Apple down with it .

President Trump’s executive order banning WeChat could have far-reaching consequences for almost the entire technology industry, thanks to the app’s parent company, Tencent, having investments in companies like Riot Games and other US-based brands. But the ban could also have a big impact on Apple, which is deeply entrenched in China.
Apple has a significant Chinese customer base, and nearly all of its critical manufacturing and assembly partners are based there. Trump’s ban might not only force Apple to remove WeChat from its App Store — which would destroy Apple’s Chinese smartphone business — it could existentially change how Apple is able to build and sell new products in the future.
It’s hard to emphasize the prominence of WeChat in China. As analyst Ben Thompson put it in 2017, “There is nothing in any other country that is comparable, particularly the Facebook properties (Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp) to which WeChat is commonly compared. All of those are about communication or wasting time: WeChat is that, but it is also for reading news, for hailing taxis, for paying for lunch (try and pay with cash for lunch, and you’ll look like a luddite), for accessing government resources, for business. For all intents and purposes WeChat is your phone, and to a far greater extent in China than anywhere else, your phone is everything.”
An iPhone without WeChat is effectively not a phone at all
An iPhone without WeChat is effectively not a phone at all for the hundreds of millions of Chinese users that rely on the service — customers on which Apple’s entire iPhone business model relies. If Apple can’t offer WeChat on the iPhone due to Trump’s ban, then much of its Chinese business will almost certainly evaporate overnight.
Respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple’s annual iPhone shipments in China could be reduced by 25 to 30 percent if it’s required to remove WeChat from its App Stores around the world. Sales of other related Apple hardware like Apple Watches, iPads, AirPods, and Macs could be reduced by 15 to 25 percent.
Apple is caught in a trap of its own making here, thanks to its locked-down platform. A more open system, similar to Google’s Android, would let users install WeChat without Apple’s explicit approval. It wouldn’t be ideal for Apple, but at least millions of Chinese customers could still use their iPhones.
Apple physically can’t outsource its manufacturing anywhere else in the world (and certainly not in the US). Then-COO Tim Cook led a 2005 shift to “just-in-time” manufacturing that cuts down on excess inventory and constantly pumps out new products. The result is that Apple today is almost exclusively reliant on Chinese manufacturers like Foxconn. It’s so important to Apple that when factories shut down from COVID-19, it caused hiccups down Apple’s entire supply chain — and may even have caused delays for the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup this fall.
While recent developments in India have attempted to lessen Apple’s need to exclusively build all of its hardware in China, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to what Apple builds in — and therefore, would have to export from — China.
Apple is caught in a trap of its own making
But the trade deal still hasn’t been completed (President Trump has indicated in recent interviews that the second phase of the deal is no longer a priority for him), and the newest escalation by Trump in targeting one of the biggest Chinese companies in the world could irreparably damage those trade talks. Instead of getting a reprieve from those impending tariffs, Apple could be forced to bear the costs of all of them or face even higher import taxes should China escalate the trade war further in retaliation.
That’s all to say nothing of how important China’s business itself is to Apple. As The Economist noted earlier this year, Apple made a total of $44 billion in China last year — more than any other American company. It’s already the third-largest contributor to Apple’s bottom line — in the company’s most recent Q3 2020 earnings, China accounted for roughly 15 percent of the company’s revenue. And unlike Europe or the US, where Apple’s market share has been largely stagnant for iPhone and Mac adoption, China still has huge potential to grow for Apple, which only comprises around 9 percent of the total Chinese smartphone market (which is currently dominated by Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi).
It’s not just iPhone sales, either: Chinese customers spent $1.53 billion in April on App Store purchases alone, a number that doesn’t even include other service revenue for Apple (like iCloud or Apple Music subscriptions), which is a key part of Apple’s ongoing business strategy.
Apple’s already been struggling with continuing that growth in China in recent years as phone sales have slowed, something that the shuttering of stores due to COVID-19 didn’t help. (Apple actually had to issue a rare update for its investors that lowered the company’s outlook because “demand for our products within China has been affected” by the virus.)
A stark reminder for Apple of how reliant it is on China
Most of Apple’s paid services — like the iTunes Store, Apple Books, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, Apple News Plus, and the Apple Card — aren’t available in China either. That’s a big problem for Apple, which has started to look toward recurring subscriptions to make up for a steadily saturated iPhone market.
Apple’s success under Tim Cook has been largely built on its expansion into China, both as a manufacturing hub and a significant customer base. Trump’s WeChat ban could strike at that once-solid foundation, with the potential to shatter one of Apple’s biggest bastions of customers and its ability to manufacture almost any of its products.
Even if this does all blow over, it’s a stark reminder for Apple of how reliant the company is on China. It’s also a reminder of how easily the precarious house of its hyper-concentrated manufacturing hubs, App Store policies, and international business deals can fall apart — and potentially, take a huge chunk of Apple down with it.


theverge--2020-08-08--New Jersey prosecutor dismissing cyber-harassment case over tweeting cop’s photo

New Jersey ’ s Essex County Prosecutor ’ s Office is moving to dismiss the harassment charges against five people who tweeted or retweeted a police officer ’ s photo .
Asbury Park Press reported the news on Friday afternoon , quoting spokesperson Katherine Carter saying that “ after reviewing the cases , we concluded there was insufficient evidence to sustain our burden of proof.
” The Nutley Police Department filed a criminal complaint in July against protester Kevin Alfaro , who tweeted a photograph of Detective Peter Sandomenico during a Nutley For Black Lives demonstration in June .
Alfaro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows who this bitch is throw his info under this tweet , ” something Sandomenico said caused him to fear for the safety of his family .
The department also charged four people who retweeted the tweet , including Georgana Sziszak , who publicized the case in a GoFundMe campaign .
All faced allegations of cyber-harassment , a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to 18 months in jail .
Civil liberties advocates said the case had little justification and that a prosecutor was unlikely to pursue it , but it alarmed critics who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s also part of a pattern of aggressive legal charges against Black Lives Matter protesters nationwide — like a Utah criminal mischief case that sees demonstrators facing a life sentence for splashing paint and smashing windows .

New Jersey’s Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is moving to dismiss the harassment charges against five people who tweeted or retweeted a police officer’s photo. Asbury Park Press reported the news on Friday afternoon, quoting spokesperson Katherine Carter saying that “after reviewing the cases, we concluded there was insufficient evidence to sustain our burden of proof.”
The Nutley Police Department filed a criminal complaint in July against protester Kevin Alfaro, who tweeted a photograph of Detective Peter Sandomenico during a Nutley For Black Lives demonstration in June. Alfaro’s tweet asked “if anyone knows who this bitch is throw his info under this tweet,” something Sandomenico said caused him to fear for the safety of his family. The department also charged four people who retweeted the tweet, including Georgana Sziszak, who publicized the case in a GoFundMe campaign. All faced allegations of cyber-harassment, a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to 18 months in jail.


theverge--2020-08-08--Capital One ordered to pay $80 million penalty for its role in a 2019 data breach

Capital One will pay an $ 80 million civil penalty for its role in a 2019 security breach that exposed the personal data of more than 100 million customers , The Wall Street Journal reported .
In a scathing report on its investigation into the breach , the Office of the Comptroller of Currency , part of the US Treasury .
said Capital One was aware its security practices were woefully insufficient , and that the company ’ s board of directors “ failed to take effective actions to hold management accountable.
” The breach happened in March and April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently not aware of the problem until mid-July .
That ’ s when someone tipped the company to a public GitHub page where private Capital One data was available .
That led investigators to former Amazon cloud employee Paige Thompson , who was charged with wire fraud and computer fraud .
Authorities say Thompson was able to exploit a “ configuration vulnerability ” to extract the Capital One customers ’ information and post it to message boards .
She pleaded not guilty to the charges and her trial is scheduled for next year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on the bank ’ s failure to establish effective risk assessment processes prior to migrating significant information technology operations to the public cloud environment and the bank ’ s failure to correct the deficiencies in a timely manner , ” the OCC said in a statement announcing the penalty .
As part of a consent order from OCC , Capital One must establish a compliance committee by the end of August , which will meet quarterly beginning in October and provide regular updates .
The company is required to create an action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s taking to improve security .
A Capital One spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that controls the company put in place before last year ’ s incident “ enabled us to secure our data before any customer information could be used or disseminated and helped authorities quickly arrest the hacker.
” Since the incident , the spokesperson added , the company has “ invested significant additional resources into further strengthening our cyber defenses , and have made substantial progress in addressing the requirements of these orders.
” The penalty will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UPDATE August 8th 10:38AM ET : Adds statement from Capital One spokesperson

Capital One will pay an $80 million civil penalty for its role in a 2019 security breach that exposed the personal data of more than 100 million customers, The Wall Street Journal reported. In a scathing report on its investigation into the breach, the Office of the Comptroller of Currency, part of the US Treasury. said Capital One was aware its security practices were woefully insufficient, and that the company’s board of directors “failed to take effective actions to hold management accountable.”
The breach happened in March and April of 2019, but Capital One was apparently not aware of the problem until mid-July. That’s when someone tipped the company to a public GitHub page where private Capital One data was available. That led investigators to former Amazon cloud employee Paige Thompson, who was charged with wire fraud and computer fraud. Authorities say Thompson was able to exploit a “configuration vulnerability” to extract the Capital One customers’ information and post it to message boards. She pleaded not guilty to the charges and her trial is scheduled for next year.
“The OCC took these actions based on the bank’s failure to establish effective risk assessment processes prior to migrating significant information technology operations to the public cloud environment and the bank’s failure to correct the deficiencies in a timely manner,” the OCC said in a statement announcing the penalty.
As part of a consent order from OCC, Capital One must establish a compliance committee by the end of August, which will meet quarterly beginning in October and provide regular updates. The company is required to create an action plan to detail what steps it’s taking to improve security.
A Capital One spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that controls the company put in place before last year’s incident “enabled us to secure our data before any customer information could be used or disseminated and helped authorities quickly arrest the hacker.” Since the incident, the spokesperson added, the company has “invested significant additional resources into further strengthening our cyber defenses, and have made substantial progress in addressing the requirements of these orders.”
The penalty will be paid to the Treasury department.


theverge--2020-08-08--An important part of science is admitting when we’re wrong

This week started with a whole lot of people getting very angry about someone being wrong on the internet .
This time , it was computer scientist Steven Salzberg , who wrote a blog post on Forbes arguing that people should start vaccinating now — phase 3 clinical trials had just started .
They seemed to be going well .
Why not start passing out doses to willing , informed volunteers ?
Well , a whole bunch of reasons , most of which boil down to some variation of that ’ s what the trials are there for .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something into the third level of human testing is pretty high — but not high enough to justify use on the broader population , as biostatistician Natalie Dean pointed out in a New York Times rebuttal of the Forbes post .
“ It ’ s just fundamentally wrong to think that because there ’ s an emergency , that we should somehow throw out aspects of scientific research , ” Alex John London , director of the Center for Ethics and Policy at Carnegie Mellon University told Verge reporter Nicole Wetsman this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sticking to the process , gathering the evidence , and making sure the vaccine actually works is what makes the vaccines we have today so safe .
There are some things we can speed up , but widely distributing untested vaccines would be reckless .
Hundreds of people showed up online to point out the error of Salzberg ’ s ways .
But instead of this dissolving into drama , or fading into the background of new Twitter fights and controversies , something very different happened .
“ I was wrong , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ After reading many of the responses to my article , some of them outlining the risks in greater detail , I have concluded that ( 1 ) the risks are greater than I presented them , and ( 2 ) the benefits are not as great as I had thought.
” It ’ s always a better feeling to be right on the first try .
Doing background research first and challenging your own biases can avoid screw-ups before they happen .
But having the flexibility to admit that we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve us well as we head through the next phase of the pandemic .
Many of the things we thought at the start of the pandemic were wrong .
Asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people can transmit the virus .
The virus probably does spread through the air .
There ’ s a whole lot more that we just don ’ t know yet .
Everyone is learning about this new , world-altering virus in real time , and that means that sometimes we get lost , or head down dead ends , or want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make the suffering stop .
Rigorous examination of evidence and beliefs is part of what makes the entire process of science work , and it ’ s what brings us back toward the truth , even when we veer away from it .
There ’ s only so much we can do to speed up science — but by working together , we might be able to keep ourselves on the right track .
Here ’ s what else was going on this week .
Even Asymptomatic People Carry the Coronavirus in High @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that people who are infected with the coronavirus but don ’ t have symptoms have just as much of the virus in their bodies as people with symptoms .
That doesn ’ t fully answer the question of how easily they transmit the disease , but it is alarming for people trying to track the virus ’ s spread .
( Apoorva Mandavilli / The New York Times ) Immunology Is Where Intuition Goes to Die On a good day , our immune system is bizarre .
A pandemic lays out exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know about how this vitally important part of our body works .
Take a deep dive into the complexities of the immune system and the field devoted to studying it here .
( Ed Yong / The Atlantic ) Novavax ’ s Covid-19 vaccine shows promising immune response , early data show Let ’ s start off with the big caveat that these results are from a phase 1 trial that has not been peer-reviewed .
The early results here are encouraging , but still not enough to say whether this vaccine will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Hydroxychloroquine can ’ t stop COVID-19 .
It ’ s time to move on , scientists say This anti-malarial drug has sucked up time , attention , and money in the search for effective COVID-19 treatments .
But it ’ s just not working out .
Science News lays out exactly why it ’ s time to ditch this treatment and move on to things that might actually work .
( Tina Hesman Saey / Science News ) — Journalist Willy Blackmore writes about his experience with COVID-19 in “ COVID-19 Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve Infected Someone ” for New York Magazine ’ s Intelligencer .
How Did I Catch the Coronavirus ?
Contact tracing in the US is in bad shape .
Carolyn Kormann takes readers on her frustrating quest to figure out where she got the virus , even after taking precautions .
( Carolyn Kormann / The New Yorker ) A pregnant woman with covid-19 was dying .
With one decision , her doctors saved three lives .
A harrowing oral history of how doctors successfully treated a pregnant woman with COVID-19 .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To the more than 19,405,013 people worldwide who have tested positive , may your road to recovery be smooth .
To the families and friends of the 712,906 people who have died worldwide — 161,367 of those in the US — your loved ones are not forgotten .

This week started with a whole lot of people getting very angry about someone being wrong on the internet. This time, it was computer scientist Steven Salzberg, who wrote a blog post on Forbes arguing that people should start vaccinating now — phase 3 clinical trials had just started. They seemed to be going well. Why not start passing out doses to willing, informed volunteers?
Well, a whole bunch of reasons, most of which boil down to some variation of that’s what the trials are there for. The evidence that’s needed to move something into the third level of human testing is pretty high — but not high enough to justify use on the broader population, as biostatistician Natalie Dean pointed out in a New York Times rebuttal of the Forbes post.
“It’s just fundamentally wrong to think that because there’s an emergency, that we should somehow throw out aspects of scientific research,” Alex John London, director of the Center for Ethics and Policy at Carnegie Mellon University told Verge reporter Nicole Wetsman this week.
In fact, Wetsman writes, sticking to the process, gathering the evidence, and making sure the vaccine actually works is what makes the vaccines we have today so safe. There are some things we can speed up, but widely distributing untested vaccines would be reckless.
Hundreds of people showed up online to point out the error of Salzberg’s ways. But instead of this dissolving into drama, or fading into the background of new Twitter fights and controversies, something very different happened.
“I was wrong,” Salzberg wrote in a new Forbes post. “After reading many of the responses to my article, some of them outlining the risks in greater detail, I have concluded that (1) the risks are greater than I presented them, and (2) the benefits are not as great as I had thought.”
It’s always a better feeling to be right on the first try. Doing background research first and challenging your own biases can avoid screw-ups before they happen. But having the flexibility to admit that we were wrong, like Salzberg did, will serve us well as we head through the next phase of the pandemic.
Many of the things we thought at the start of the pandemic were wrong. Asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people can transmit the virus. The virus probably does spread through the air. There’s a whole lot more that we just don’t know yet. Everyone is learning about this new, world-altering virus in real time, and that means that sometimes we get lost, or head down dead ends, or want to speed ahead, if only to make the suffering stop.
Rigorous examination of evidence and beliefs is part of what makes the entire process of science work, and it’s what brings us back toward the truth, even when we veer away from it. There’s only so much we can do to speed up science — but by working together, we might be able to keep ourselves on the right track.
Here’s what else was going on this week.
Research
Even Asymptomatic People Carry the Coronavirus in High Amounts
A study out of South Korea found that people who are infected with the coronavirus but don’t have symptoms have just as much of the virus in their bodies as people with symptoms. That doesn’t fully answer the question of how easily they transmit the disease, but it is alarming for people trying to track the virus’s spread. (Apoorva Mandavilli / The New York Times)
Immunology Is Where Intuition Goes to Die
On a good day, our immune system is bizarre. A pandemic lays out exactly how much we still don’t know about how this vitally important part of our body works. Take a deep dive into the complexities of the immune system and the field devoted to studying it here. (Ed Yong / The Atlantic)
Development
Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine shows promising immune response, early data show
Let’s start off with the big caveat that these results are from a phase 1 trial that has not been peer-reviewed. The early results here are encouraging, but still not enough to say whether this vaccine will work. (Damian Garde / Stat)
Hydroxychloroquine can’t stop COVID-19. It’s time to move on, scientists say
This anti-malarial drug has sucked up time, attention, and money in the search for effective COVID-19 treatments. But it’s just not working out. Science News lays out exactly why it’s time to ditch this treatment and move on to things that might actually work. (Tina Hesman Saey / Science News)
Perspectives
The cupcakes, the gift bags full of dollar-store toys and candy, the afternoon my daughter spent in her bedroom eating pizza and watching a movie with a friend … March 12 was our last futile glimpse of normalcy before the reality of the pandemic truly settled in.
— Journalist Willy Blackmore writes about his experience with COVID-19 in “COVID-19 Is Horrible — So Is Worrying You’ve Infected Someone” for New York Magazine’s Intelligencer.
How Did I Catch the Coronavirus?
Contact tracing in the US is in bad shape. Carolyn Kormann takes readers on her frustrating quest to figure out where she got the virus, even after taking precautions. (Carolyn Kormann / The New Yorker)
A pregnant woman with covid-19 was dying. With one decision, her doctors saved three lives.
A harrowing oral history of how doctors successfully treated a pregnant woman with COVID-19. (Caitlin Gibson / The Washington Post)
More than numbers
To the more than 19,405,013 people worldwide who have tested positive, may your road to recovery be smooth.
To the families and friends of the 712,906 people who have died worldwide — 161,367 of those in the US — your loved ones are not forgotten.


theverge--2020-08-09--Microsoft’s new Xbox Series S console confirmed in leaked controller packaging

Microsoft is rumored to be unveiling its second , cheaper next-gen Xbox console this month , and it looks like it will definitely be called Xbox Series S. The Verge has obtained photos of Microsoft ’ s new next-gen Xbox controller in white , complete with packaging that mentions the Xbox Series S. Twitter user Zak S was able to purchase the controller today , and we ’ ve confirmed it ’ s genuine .
The new controller was sold on a resale site today , and the side of the packaging notes that the controller works with both Xbox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Microsoft has not officially unveiled an Xbox Series S yet , nor has the company even confirmed a white Xbox Series X controller .
A mysterious white Xbox Series X controller also appeared online last month , complete with the new D-pad , textured triggers , and new share button .
This new leak matches the previous controller leak , and retail packaging suggests that these could be appearing in stores soon .
The Xbox Series S will likely be Microsoft ’ s second cheaper next-gen Xbox , that ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaked back in June , shed some further light on the company ’ s plans for two next-gen consoles .
Microsoft ’ s Xbox Series X devkit , codenamed “ Dante , ” allows game developers to enable a special Lockhart mode that has a profile of the performance that Microsoft wants to hit with this second console .
The Lockhart console is expected to include 7.5GB of usable RAM , around 4 teraflops of GPU performance , and ship with the same CPU found on the Xbox Series X. Microsoft is rumored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some time in August , and it will likely play a big part of the company ’ s Xbox All Access subscription plans that bundle an Xbox console and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ( Xbox Live and Xbox Game Pass ) for a monthly fee .
We ’ ve reached out to Microsoft to comment on the next-gen Xbox controller leak , and we ’ ll update you accordingly .

Microsoft is rumored to be unveiling its second, cheaper next-gen Xbox console this month, and it looks like it will definitely be called Xbox Series S. The Verge has obtained photos of Microsoft’s new next-gen Xbox controller in white, complete with packaging that mentions the Xbox Series S. Twitter user Zak S was able to purchase the controller today, and we’ve confirmed it’s genuine.
The new controller was sold on a resale site today, and the side of the packaging notes that the controller works with both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. Microsoft has not officially unveiled an Xbox Series S yet, nor has the company even confirmed a white Xbox Series X controller.
Xbox Series S on the packaging.
A mysterious white Xbox Series X controller also appeared online last month, complete with the new D-pad, textured triggers, and new share button. This new leak matches the previous controller leak, and retail packaging suggests that these could be appearing in stores soon.
The Xbox Series S will likely be Microsoft’s second cheaper next-gen Xbox, that’s been codenamed Lockhart. A Microsoft document, leaked back in June, shed some further light on the company’s plans for two next-gen consoles. Microsoft’s Xbox Series X devkit, codenamed “Dante,” allows game developers to enable a special Lockhart mode that has a profile of the performance that Microsoft wants to hit with this second console.
The Lockhart console is expected to include 7.5GB of usable RAM, around 4 teraflops of GPU performance, and ship with the same CPU found on the Xbox Series X. Microsoft is rumored to be unveiling the Xbox Series S some time in August, and it will likely play a big part of the company’s Xbox All Access subscription plans that bundle an Xbox console and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (Xbox Live and Xbox Game Pass) for a monthly fee.
Microsoft won’t comment on how a next-gen controller has leaked. We have a lot in store for Xbox in 2020 and can’t wait to share with you,” says a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to The Verge. “However, we have nothing to announce at this time.”


theverge--2020-08-09--Toshiba is officially out of the laptop business

Toshiba quietly exited the laptop business once and for all last week , ending a 35-year run by transferring its remaining minority stake in its PC business to Sharp .
Two years ago , Toshiba sold an 80.1 percent stake of its PC business to Sharp for $ 36 million , and Sharp renamed the division Dynabook .
Sharp exercised its right to buy the remaining 19.1 percent of shares back in June , and Toshiba released a statement August 4th that the deal was completed “ As a result of this transfer , Dynabook has become a wholly owned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
The company made the first PC laptop in 1985 : The T1100 boasted internal rechargeable batteries , a 3.5-inch floppy drive , and 256K of memory .
ComputerWorld ’ s 20-year retrospective of the T1100 notes that Toshiba executives were unsure about the portable computer , but eventually came around , and began selling the T1100 for around $ 2,000 .
During the 1990s and early 2000s Toshiba was among the top PC manufacturers , but as more players crowded into the market and with fewer unique features to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in popularity .
By the time it sold its stake to Sharp , Toshiba ’ s share of the PC market had dwindled from its 2011 peak of 17.7 million PCs sold to about 1.4 million in 2017 , according to Reuters .

Toshiba quietly exited the laptop business once and for all last week, ending a 35-year run by transferring its remaining minority stake in its PC business to Sharp. Two years ago, Toshiba sold an 80.1 percent stake of its PC business to Sharp for $36 million, and Sharp renamed the division Dynabook. Sharp exercised its right to buy the remaining 19.1 percent of shares back in June, and Toshiba released a statement August 4th that the deal was completed
“As a result of this transfer, Dynabook has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Sharp,” Toshiba said in a statement.
The company made the first PC laptop in 1985: The T1100 boasted internal rechargeable batteries, a 3.5-inch floppy drive, and 256K of memory. ComputerWorld’s 20-year retrospective of the T1100 notes that Toshiba executives were unsure about the portable computer, but eventually came around, and began selling the T1100 for around $2,000.


theverge--2020-08-09--Amazon reportedly considering mall spaces for fulfillment centers

Amazon has had talks with Simon Property Group about converting some of its mall spaces into fulfillment centers , The Wall Street Journal reported .
The conversations started before the coronavirus pandemic , and before the latest wave of bankruptcy filings by mall stalwarts like Lord & Taylor , JCPenney , and Nieman Marcus .
It ’ s a bit of an on-the-nose example of how e-commerce is overtaking the traditional brick-and-mortar retail establishments that used to be at the center of the shopping mall experience .
Simon is the biggest mall owner in the US , and looking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left behind by former anchor tenants like Sears and JCPenney .
Having its fulfillment center warehouses closer to residential areas would help Amazon make deliveries more quickly , the WSJ notes .
It ’ s not clear where or how many stores Amazon is considering , or how smaller mall tenants might feel about sharing a roof with the e-comm retail giant .
Some malls across the US rent parking lots to Amazon vehicles already , but it would be unusual for a company like Simon to lease retail space directly to Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the pandemic has slammed most retailers , Amazon reported in its second-quarter earnings results that it doubled its net profit year over year to $ 5.2 billion .

Amazon has had talks with Simon Property Group about converting some of its mall spaces into fulfillment centers, The Wall Street Journal reported. The conversations started before the coronavirus pandemic, and before the latest wave of bankruptcy filings by mall stalwarts like Lord & Taylor, JCPenney, and Nieman Marcus. It’s a bit of an on-the-nose example of how e-commerce is overtaking the traditional brick-and-mortar retail establishments that used to be at the center of the shopping mall experience.
Simon is the biggest mall owner in the US, and looking to fill empty retail spaces, particularly those left behind by former anchor tenants like Sears and JCPenney. Having its fulfillment center warehouses closer to residential areas would help Amazon make deliveries more quickly, the WSJ notes.
It’s not clear where or how many stores Amazon is considering, or how smaller mall tenants might feel about sharing a roof with the e-comm retail giant. Some malls across the US rent parking lots to Amazon vehicles already, but it would be unusual for a company like Simon to lease retail space directly to Amazon, as the WSJ points out.


theverge--2020-08-09--US passes 5 million coronavirus cases

US passes 5 million coronavirus cases

As school districts across the country struggle to figure out how — or if— to safely reopen schools to teachers and students , the number of coronavirus cases in the US passed 5 million on Sunday , according to the Coronavirus Research Center at Johns Hopkins University .
And according to a Washington Post analysis , the US hit the 5 million mark just 17 days after passing 4 million cases .
The US leads the world in the number of coronavirus cases , accounting for nearly a quarter of the 19.7 million cases worldwide .
As of Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million cases , followed by India at 2.1 million cases .
And the US is at the top of another grim coronavirus list , according to Johns Hopkins , with more than 162,000 deaths .
While researchers at the University of Washington believe case counts may have peaked in many of the hardest-hit states , they ’ re now projecting that the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the US could hit 300,000 by December , NPR reported .
New York , which was hard hit in the early days of the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , at more than 32,000 , followed by New Jersey at almost 16,000 and California at more than 10,000 deaths , the Johns Hopkins data show .
On Saturday , President Trump signed four executive orders aimed at providing coronavirus relief , but it ’ s not clear whether they comply with the law .
The US unemployment rate is currently at 10 percent .
The US reached 5 million cases the same day New Zealand announced it had gone 100 days with no new cases of domestic transmission of the coronavirus @

As school districts across the country struggle to figure out how — or if— to safely reopen schools to teachers and students, the number of coronavirus cases in the US passed 5 million on Sunday, according to the Coronavirus Research Center at Johns Hopkins University. And according to a Washington Post analysis, the US hit the 5 million mark just 17 days after passing 4 million cases.
The US leads the world in the number of coronavirus cases, accounting for nearly a quarter of the 19.7 million cases worldwide. As of Sunday, Brazil was second with just over 3 million cases, followed by India at 2.1 million cases. And the US is at the top of another grim coronavirus list, according to Johns Hopkins, with more than 162,000 deaths.
While researchers at the University of Washington believe case counts may have peaked in many of the hardest-hit states, they’re now projecting that the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the US could hit 300,000 by December, NPR reported. New York, which was hard hit in the early days of the pandemic, has the most coronavirus deaths among US states, at more than 32,000, followed by New Jersey at almost 16,000 and California at more than 10,000 deaths, the Johns Hopkins data show.
On Saturday, President Trump signed four executive orders aimed at providing coronavirus relief, but it’s not clear whether they comply with the law. The US unemployment rate is currently at 10 percent.


theverge--2020-08-09--Computer scientist Frances Allen, known for her work on compiling, dies at 88

Frances Allen , whose work on computer compiling helped establish a foundation for much of modern computer programming , died on August 4th , her 88th birthday .
She was the first woman to win the Turing Award , and the first female IBM fellow .
Allen was determined to make the tedious compiling process — converting software programs into ones and zeroes— more efficient .
The work became a hallmark of her career .
After receiving a master ’ s degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan , Allen took a job with IBM Research in Poughkeepsie , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay until she had her student loan debt paid off .
She taught IBM employees the basics of its new Fortran language , later becoming one of three designers for the company ’ s Stretch-Harvest project .
Allen also served as IBM ’ s language liaison with the National Security Agency , where she helped design and build Alpha , which IBM describes as “ a very high-level code breaking language which featured the ability to create new alphabets beyond the system defined alphabets.
” The New York Times obituary for Allen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to analyze communications intercepted by American spies .
Allen helped built its compiler , and its programming language .
In a 2002 New York Times profile , Allen said there was much initial skepticism of Fortran and how effective it could be in making computer programming easier and more efficient , which was a main focus of her career .
‘ ’ There was tremendous resistance , ’ ’ she said .
‘ ’ They were convinced that no higher level language could possibly do as good a job as they could in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her interest in compiling , she said later , “ because it was organized in a way that has a direct heritage to modern compilers.
” Allen helped build an experimental compiler for IBM ’ s Advanced Computing system , and from 1980 to the mid-1990s , she headed a research team at IBM working on the new concept of parallel computing , which became widely used in personal computers .
She also helped develop software for IBM ’ s Blue Gene supercomputer project .
IBM said in an appreciation that Allen made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She also published several papers on program optimization , control flow analysis , and in 1972 co-wrote “ A Catalog of Optimizing Transformations ” with fellow IBM computer scientist John Cocke .
Allen spent 45 years at IBM , retiring in 2002 .
She received the Turing Award in 2006 .
A strong supporter of mentoring other women in programming , Allen was inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame and received the Augusta Ada Lovelace Award from the Association for Women in Computing , according to IBM .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” her colleague Mark Wegman told the New York Times .
“ At the time , no one even thought someone like her could achieve what she achieved .
”

Frances Allen, whose work on computer compiling helped establish a foundation for much of modern computer programming, died on August 4th, her 88th birthday. She was the first woman to win the Turing Award, and the first female IBM fellow. Allen was determined to make the tedious compiling process — converting software programs into ones and zeroes— more efficient. The work became a hallmark of her career.
After receiving a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan, Allen took a job with IBM Research in Poughkeepsie, NY, in 1957, intending only to stay until she had her student loan debt paid off. She taught IBM employees the basics of its new Fortran language, later becoming one of three designers for the company’s Stretch-Harvest project.
Allen also served as IBM’s language liaison with the National Security Agency, where she helped design and build Alpha, which IBM describes as “a very high-level code breaking language which featured the ability to create new alphabets beyond the system defined alphabets.” The New York Times obituary for Allen notes that the Stretch-Harvest machine was used to analyze communications intercepted by American spies. Allen helped built its compiler, and its programming language.
In a 2002 New York Times profile, Allen said there was much initial skepticism of Fortran and how effective it could be in making computer programming easier and more efficient, which was a main focus of her career. ‘’There was tremendous resistance,’’ she said. ‘’They were convinced that no higher level language could possibly do as good a job as they could in assembly.’’ But the work sparked her interest in compiling, she said later, “because it was organized in a way that has a direct heritage to modern compilers.”
Allen helped build an experimental compiler for IBM’s Advanced Computing system, and from 1980 to the mid-1990s, she headed a research team at IBM working on the new concept of parallel computing, which became widely used in personal computers. She also helped develop software for IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer project.
IBM said in an appreciation that Allen made seminal contributions to programming and compiler research. She also published several papers on program optimization, control flow analysis, and in 1972 co-wrote “A Catalog of Optimizing Transformations” with fellow IBM computer scientist John Cocke.
Allen spent 45 years at IBM, retiring in 2002. She received the Turing Award in 2006. A strong supporter of mentoring other women in programming, Allen was inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame and received the Augusta Ada Lovelace Award from the Association for Women in Computing, according to IBM.


theverge--2020-08-09--Apple wants this recipe app to stop using a pear in its logo

Apple has filed a notice of opposition against a meal prep company because it claims the Prepear app ’ s cartoon fruit logo— in this case , a pear— is too close to Apple ’ s own trademarked logo which is , of course , an apple ( via MacRumors and iPhone in Canada ) .
The company claims the pear logo would “ cause dilution of the distinctiveness ” of the Apple logo , and make it difficult for consumers to distinguish between Prepear and Apple ’ s goods and services , which it argues is a violation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when parent company Super Healthy Kids filed to register a trademark for the Prepear logo .
The Prepear app lets users store and organize recipes , and create custom meal plans .
The logo is in the shape of a pear , with a leaf on its upper right .
Apple ’ s notice of opposition describes it this way : “ Applicant ’ s Mark consists of a minimalistic fruit design with a right-angled leaf , which readily calls to mind Apple ’ s famous Apple Logo and creates a similar commercial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Apple Marks are so famous and instantly recognizable that the similarities in Applicant ’ s Mark will overshadow any differences and cause the ordinary consumer to believe the Applicant is related to , affiliated with or endorsed by Apple.
” Prepear co-founder Russell Monson started a petition ( “ Save the Pear from Apple !
” ) that had more than 14,000 signatures as of this writing .
He writes that the company is a small business with five employees that can ’ t afford a protracted legal battle with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it ’ s been a “ terrifying ” experience .
Apple ’ s court filing states that since it offers “ identical and/or highly related goods and services , ” and has “ services related to computer software , as well as healthcare , nutrition , general wellness , and social networking ” that a meal planning services app would be “ within Apple ’ s natural zone of expansion for Apple ’ s Apple Marks.
” In other words , customers may look at Prepear ’ s logo and assume the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s something Apple might do .
And , Apple points out , it has several health and nutrition-related apps and services already .
Prepear co-owner Natalie Monson posted to Instagram that she isn ’ t trying to get people to stop using Apple products , but wants to push back on the company ’ s stance .
“ I feel a moral obligation to take a stand against Apple ’ s aggressive legal action against small businesses and fight for the right to keep our logo , ” she wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only to keep our logo , but to send a message to big tech companies that bullying small businesses has consequences.
” It ’ s not the first time Apple has pursued legal action against another company for a similar-looking logo .
In 2019 , it sent an objection letter to the patent office in Norway , arguing that the political party Fremskrittspartiet had an apple logo that closely resembled its own .
It also objected to the logo of a cycling path in Germany that had a vaguely apple-like design .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s trademark registration application denied .
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday .
Natalie Monson didn ’ t immediately reply to an email seeking more information .

Apple has filed a notice of opposition against a meal prep company because it claims the Prepear app’s cartoon fruit logo— in this case, a pear— is too close to Apple’s own trademarked logo which is, of course, an apple (via MacRumors and iPhone in Canada). The company claims the pear logo would “cause dilution of the distinctiveness” of the Apple logo, and make it difficult for consumers to distinguish between Prepear and Apple’s goods and services, which it argues is a violation of the Lanham Act.
The dustup started when parent company Super Healthy Kids filed to register a trademark for the Prepear logo. The Prepear app lets users store and organize recipes, and create custom meal plans. The logo is in the shape of a pear, with a leaf on its upper right. Apple’s notice of opposition describes it this way:
“Applicant’s Mark consists of a minimalistic fruit design with a right-angled leaf, which readily calls to mind Apple’s famous Apple Logo and creates a similar commercial impression.” The court filing continues, “The Apple Marks are so famous and instantly recognizable that the similarities in Applicant’s Mark will overshadow any differences and cause the ordinary consumer to believe the Applicant is related to, affiliated with or endorsed by Apple.”
Prepear co-founder Russell Monson started a petition (“Save the Pear from Apple!”) that had more than 14,000 signatures as of this writing. He writes that the company is a small business with five employees that can’t afford a protracted legal battle with a company the size of Apple, and that it’s been a “terrifying” experience.
Apple’s court filing states that since it offers “identical and/or highly related goods and services,” and has “services related to computer software, as well as healthcare, nutrition, general wellness, and social networking” that a meal planning services app would be “within Apple’s natural zone of expansion for Apple’s Apple Marks.” In other words, customers may look at Prepear’s logo and assume the recipe app is an Apple product because it’s something Apple might do. And, Apple points out, it has several health and nutrition-related apps and services already.
Prepear co-owner Natalie Monson posted to Instagram that she isn’t trying to get people to stop using Apple products, but wants to push back on the company’s stance. “I feel a moral obligation to take a stand against Apple’s aggressive legal action against small businesses and fight for the right to keep our logo,” she wrote. “We are defending ourselves against Apple not only to keep our logo, but to send a message to big tech companies that bullying small businesses has consequences.”
It’s not the first time Apple has pursued legal action against another company for a similar-looking logo. In 2019, it sent an objection letter to the patent office in Norway, arguing that the political party Fremskrittspartiet had an apple logo that closely resembled its own. It also objected to the logo of a cycling path in Germany that had a vaguely apple-like design.
Apple is seeking to have Prepear’s trademark registration application denied.


theverge--2020-08-09--Huawei says it’s running out of chips for its smartphones because of US sanctions

Huawei , the world ’ s biggest smartphone vendor , says it ’ s running out of processor chips because of US sanctions against the company , The Associated Press reported .
And according to Richard Yu , CEO of Huawei ’ s consumer business unit , as of next month the Chinese phone manufacturer will no longer be able to make its own Kirin chipsets due to the ongoing economic pressure from the US .
“ Unfortunately , in the second round of U.S. sanctions , our chip producers only accepted orders until May 15 .
Production will close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a conference August 7th .
“ This year may be the last generation of Huawei Kirin high-end chips.
” Huawei ’ s upcoming Mate 40 phone , scheduled for release in September , could be the last phone with a Kirin chip .
The US has accused Huawei of building backdoors into network infrastructure , ostensibly to aid Chinese government spying efforts .
Huawei has denied the Trump administration ’ s accusations of spying .
But the Trump administration placed Huawei and 114 of its affiliates on its Entity List in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unable to sell technology to the company without explicit US government approval .
It also meant Google was barred from doing business with Huawei , preventing Huawei from being able to obtain an Android license and keeping Google apps off Huawei devices .
The order used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify the ban , and reads that “ openness must be balanced by the need to protect our country against critical national security threats.
” Trump later extended the order to May 2021 .
Then in May , the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to block shipments of semiconductors to Huawei to “ strategically target Huawei ’ s acquisition of semiconductors that are the direct product of certain US software and technology.
” That rule prevented foreign manufacturers of semiconductors who use American software and technology in their operations from shipping their products to Huawei unless they first obtained a license from the US .
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. ( TSMC ) , the largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world , reportedly halted orders for Huawei ’ s HiSilicon unit in May following the new US rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , earlier this year , Huawei bested Samsung as the world ’ s biggest smartphone seller , shipping more phones between April and June than any other company , according to analyst firm Canalys .
The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that American chipmaker Qualcomm had asked the Trump administration to ease the restrictions on the sale of components to Huawei , and allow it to sell chips to Huawei for use in its 5G phones .

Huawei, the world’s biggest smartphone vendor, says it’s running out of processor chips because of US sanctions against the company, The Associated Press reported. And according to Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s consumer business unit, as of next month the Chinese phone manufacturer will no longer be able to make its own Kirin chipsets due to the ongoing economic pressure from the US.
“Unfortunately, in the second round of U.S. sanctions, our chip producers only accepted orders until May 15. Production will close on Sept. 15,” Yu said at a conference August 7th. “This year may be the last generation of Huawei Kirin high-end chips.” Huawei’s upcoming Mate 40 phone, scheduled for release in September, could be the last phone with a Kirin chip.
The US has accused Huawei of building backdoors into network infrastructure, ostensibly to aid Chinese government spying efforts. Huawei has denied the Trump administration’s accusations of spying. But the Trump administration placed Huawei and 114 of its affiliates on its Entity List in May 2019, which meant US firms were unable to sell technology to the company without explicit US government approval.
It also meant Google was barred from doing business with Huawei, preventing Huawei from being able to obtain an Android license and keeping Google apps off Huawei devices. The order used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify the ban, and reads that “openness must be balanced by the need to protect our country against critical national security threats.”
Trump later extended the order to May 2021. Then in May, the US Commerce Department issued an amended export rule to block shipments of semiconductors to Huawei to “strategically target Huawei’s acquisition of semiconductors that are the direct product of certain US software and technology.”
That rule prevented foreign manufacturers of semiconductors who use American software and technology in their operations from shipping their products to Huawei unless they first obtained a license from the US. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world, reportedly halted orders for Huawei’s HiSilicon unit in May following the new US rule.
Despite the ban in the US, earlier this year, Huawei bested Samsung as the world’s biggest smartphone seller, shipping more phones between April and June than any other company, according to analyst firm Canalys.