theverge--2020-03-03--Everything you need to know about the coronavirus

Public health experts around the globe are scrambling to understand , track , and contain a new virus that appeared in Wuhan , China , at the beginning of December 2019 .
The World Health Organization named the disease caused by the virus COVID-19 , which references the type of virus and the year it emerged .
You can see where and how many cases of the illness have been reported in this map .
So far , there have been over 92,000 confirmed cases and 3,131 deaths .
Over 48,000 people have recovered from the illness .
The vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , but the rate of new cases there has slowed .
The majority of new cases are appearing in other countries outside of China , and there are large outbreaks of the disease in South Korea , Italy , Iran , and Japan .
There are over 100 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US .
As this important story continues to unfold , The Verge will update this page with all the latest news and analysis .
Our hope is to answer all of your questions as people work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread .
Where did the virus come from ?
At the end of December , public health officials from China informed the World Health Organization that they had a problem : an unknown , new virus was causing pneumonia-like illness in the city of Wuhan .
They quickly determined that it was a coronavirus and that it was rapidly spreading through and outside of Wuhan .
Coronaviruses are common in animals of all kinds , and they sometimes can evolve into forms that can infect humans .
Since the start of the century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humans , causing the SARS outbreak in 2002 and the MERS outbreak in 2012 .
Scientists think this new virus first became capable of jumping to humans at the beginning of December .
It originally seemed like the virus first infected people at a seafood market in Wuhan and spread from there .
But one analysis of early cases of the illness , published January 24th , found that the first patient to get sick did not have any contact with the market .
Experts are still trying to trace the outbreak back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animal the virus originated from is not clear , although one analysis found that the genetic sequence of the new virus is 96 percent identical to one coronavirus found in bats .
Both SARS and MERS originated in bats .
So is this the same as SARS ?
The new virus isn ’ t SARS , although that also began in China .
Because it comes from the same viral family as SARS , it has some similarities , but it ’ s an entirely new virus .
However , the commonalities mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they ’ ve learned from the past outbreak to try to stop this one .
China lied to the WHO about SARS .
Is it lying about this , too ?
During the SARS outbreak , Chinese officials attempted to conceal cases from WHO inspectors and limit information , both internally and externally .
This time , officials quickly reported the outbreak of the new virus to the WHO , which praised their quick response and transparency in a press conference .
China is also allowing a team of WHO experts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing work , the organization announced January 28th .
The US Department of Health and Human Services also said China has been more transparent than they were with SARS .
“ The Chinese government ’ s level of cooperation is completely different from what we experienced in 2003 , ” said department Secretary Alex Azar during a press conference .
But critics and Chinese citizens were skeptical : there were early concerns that Chinese officials were undercounting the number of illnesses and are classifying deaths that might have been from the virus as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigated citizens for spreading what it called rumors online at the start of the outbreak .
How dangerous is this new virus ?
Right now , it ’ s hard to say for sure .
It takes information about both how severe an illness is and how easily it can spread to determine how “ bad ” it can be .
Epidemiologists often use this tool to assess new strains of the flu , for example , to guide decision-making : If an illness isn ’ t very severe ( and kills only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it ’ s highly transmissible , it can still cause devastating effects — if something affects millions , the small percentage it kills will still be a high number of fatalities .
The WHO named the illness caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 — “ co ” and “ vi ” for coronavirus , “ d ” for disease , and “ 19 ” for the year when the disease emerged .
The symptoms of COVID-19 , which have ranged from mild , like those in a cold , to severe .
Around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s 80 percent of the cases that we know about .
It ’ s still possible that there are many more mild cases of the illness that haven ’ t been flagged , which would shrink the percentage of cases that are severe .
About 5 percent of cases are critical , and it appears around half of the people with critical cases of the illness die from it .
So far , the fatality rate for the new illness is around 1 or 2 percent , though it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that could change as the outbreak progresses .
The fatality rate for SARS was about 14 to 15 percent .
Most deaths in this outbreak have been in older people and those who have underlying health issues , like heart disease , hypertension , and diabetes .
In that group , the fatality rate for the new coronavirus is much higher : it ’ s around 14 percent for people over the age of 80 , for example .
How fast is the virus spreading ?
The virus is moving rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick people have been infecting others through person-to-person transmission since the start of January .
The new coronavirus spread quickly in the contained environment on the cruise ship the Diamond Princess .
Clusters of high numbers of cases have appeared in Italy , Iran and South Korea , and it ’ s possible that many more cases outside of China haven ’ t been detected .
Experts say that it may not be possible to contain a wider spread of the virus .
Early evidence suggested that , like other coronaviruses , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very close contact with each other , and probably spreads when an infected person sneezes or coughs .
Chinese officials have said that they have seen cases where people with the virus infected others before they start showing symptoms , but there isn ’ t detailed evidence to say if or how much that is happening .
Research out of China showed that people without symptoms still have high levels of the virus in their throats and noses , meaning they may be passing it along if they cough or sneeze .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to be sickened by an asymptomatic family member , reported a study in JAMA .
If that ’ s happening regularly , containing the spread of the virus will be more complicated .
And even if it was happening , it probably wouldn ’ t significantly affect the outbreak , said Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , in a press conference .
“ Even if there is some asymptomatic transmission , in all the history of respiratory borne illness , asymptomatic transmission has never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ An epidemic is not driven by asymptomatic carriers.
” The WHO says that researchers think each sick person will go on to infect , on average , between 1.4 and 2.5 additional people , though that ’ s only a preliminary estimate .
Other teams of researchers have published their own estimates , with most saying a sick person will infect an average of around two or three people .
Those numbers are called the virus ’ s R0 ( pronounced “ R-naught ” ) .
The R0 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection might be able to spread .
The higher the number , the more potentially spreadable it can be .
For comparison , the R0 for SARS was between two and five .
But that doesn ’ t mean each sick person will actually infect that many people ; quarantines and other actions taken to control outbreaks of a virus can bring down the number of people a sick person infects .
Can we treat this virus ?
There aren ’ t any proven treatments for COVID-19 , but there are dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One leading candidate is remdesivir , an antiviral medication originally developed to treat Ebola .
There are clinical trials testing it in patients in China and in the US .
Research teams and pharmaceutical companies are also working to develop a vaccine that can protect people from infection .
However , vaccine development takes a long time .
Even if everything goes smoothly , it will be around a year to 18 months before one is available , said Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Based on what we know so far , you can protect yourself with the same measures you ’ d take ( and should be taking ) to protect yourself against the flu : wash your hands , cover your mouth when you cough , and stay away from people who are sick .
Stay home from work or school if you ’ re feeling sick .
It ’ s totally normal to feel anxious , and there are ways to reduce that anxiety , like by distracting yourself with other activities or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you live in the US , it ’ s still more likely that you have the flu or the common cold .
It ’ s still flu season , and high levels of flu activity aren ’ t expected to die down anytime soon .
( It ’ s not too late to get a flu shot ! )
Call your doctor if you live in the US and have a fever , a dry cough , have recently been in China , Iran , Italy , Japan , or South Korea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been to one of those places , or been in contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 .
Should I cancel my vacation to Asia ?
The US State Department raised the travel advisory for China to a level 4 , saying Americans shouldn ’ t travel to China because of the virus .
Level 4 is the most severe warning issued .
It applies only to areas with a “ greater likelihood of life-threatening risks.
” US citizens currently in China should “ consider departing using commercial means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC also issued travel warnings for level 1 travel advisory for Hong Kong , saying that anyone traveling there should take precautions by washing their hands and avoiding sick people .
It ’ s issued level 2 travel advisories for Japan , saying that people who might be at higher risk from the virus — older adults and people with chronic health issues — should not travel there unless absolutely necessary .
There are level 3 travel advisories for China , Iran , Italy and South Korea , and the CDC recommends people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many countries have travel restrictions in place and are placing travelers in quarantine if they ’ re suspected of having the disease or if they ’ ve been somewhere it ’ s spreading widely .
Anyone taking a trip should prepare for their plans to be disrupted if the situation changes .
How is China trying to stop the virus ?
China took aggressive action at the start of the outbreak , shutting down transportation in Wuhan — home to over 11 million people — and cancelling flights and trains in and out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities were placed under effective quarantine to try and slow the spread of the virus into other countries , and many canceled celebrations for the Lunar New Year , a huge holiday in China .
China also suspended public gatherings , isolated sick people and aggressively tracked their contacts , and had a dedicated network of hospitals to test for the virus .
The number of new infections reported in China has been declining , which indicated to WHO officials that transmission was slowing down — and that their containment measures were working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States ?
It ’ s hard to say how significant of an effect it could have in the United States , but the virus is spreading through the country .
The CDC is using its guidelines for pandemic influenza as a starting point for preparations .
People in the US should prepare for disruptions to everyday life , said Nancy Messonnier , director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC , during a press call .
There are over 100 confirmed cases of the virus in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with COVID-19 .
after being evacuated by the US State Department from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess cruise ship and placed under quarantine in the US .
Nine people in the United States have died of the virus , and there is an ongoing outbreak at a nursing home in Washington state .
There are cases in California , New York , Washington , Oregon , and Florida in people who did not have contact with a person known to be infected with COVID-19 .
The source of those illnesses is unknown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading through communities in the United States .
The virus may have been spreading in Washington for weeks .
In response , the CDC updated testing guidelines to allow doctors to test people they suspect of having COVID-19 even if they had not been to a country with ongoing spread of the virus or who had been in contact with someone with a confirmed case of the disease could be tested , which delayed diagnosis of patients in California and Washington .
However , the guidance still says that people without those exposures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re ill enough to be hospitalized — which may not pick up cases in people who only have a mild case of the disease .
The CDC also plans to do more widespread surveillance for the virus to see if there are cases it is missing , but problems with testing kits slowed its start .
Ramping that up is important because other countries are looking more aggressively for cases — and finding them .
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flights from China to the US are being diverted to seven airports , and any US citizen who has traveled to China will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days .
Any US citizen who has been in the Hubei province ( where Wuhan is and where the virus originated ) will be held under a formal quarantine for 14 days .
In addition , any foreign national who has traveled to China in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter the US , unless they have immediate family members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump .
That decision is not supported by the WHO , which said countries should not restrict travel or trade in their response to the virus .
Trump announced new travel restrictions on Iran at the start of March .
Foreign nationals who have traveled to Iran in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter the US .
How is the virus affecting businesses that operate in China ?
A number of airlines , including United Airlines , British Airways , and Air Canada , are canceling some or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Airlines said their decision to do so was due to a drop in demand for those flights .
Tech companies like Apple started limiting employee travel to China even before the US State Department and CDC warned people against traveling there .
South Korea ’ s LG banned travel to China completely , and both Facebook and Razer told employees who had recently returned from China to work from home .
Foxconn , the Taiwanese electronics company that has factories in China and makes products for tech companies like Apple , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production .
But China officially extended the Lunar New Year holiday in an effort to curb the virus ’ spread , which could delay normal production schedules .
In a recent earnings call , Apple says it ’ s accounted for this uncertainty as it looks ahead to the next quarter .

Part of / A guide to the COVID-19 pandemic
Public health experts around the globe are scrambling to understand, track, and contain a virus that appeared in Wuhan, China, at the beginning of December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) named the disease caused by the virus COVID-19, which references the type of virus and the year it emerged. The WHO declared that the virus is a pandemic.
The Verge will update this page as new information emerges. You can also find our breakdown of what research shows about how to live in a pandemic world here.
A newsletter highlighting the COVID-19 research, developments, and stories that matter. Subscribe here!
You can see where and how many cases of the illness have been reported on this map. As this important story continues to unfold, our hope is to keep you up to date as people work to understand this virus and contain its spread.
Table of contents
Where did the virus come from?
At the end of December, public health officials from China informed the World Health Organization that they had a problem: an unknown, new virus was causing pneumonia-like illness in the city of Wuhan. They quickly determined that it was a coronavirus and that it was rapidly spreading through and outside of Wuhan.
Photo by Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
Coronaviruses are common in animals of all kinds, and they sometimes can evolve into forms that can infect humans. Since the start of the century, two other coronaviruses have jumped to humans, causing the SARS outbreak in 2002 and the MERS outbreak in 2012.
Scientists think this new virus first became capable of jumping to humans at the beginning of December. It originally seemed like the virus first infected people at a seafood market in Wuhan and spread from there. But one analysis of early cases of the illness, published on January 24th, found that the first patient to get sick did not have any contact with the market. Experts are still trying to trace the outbreak back to its source.
The type of animal the virus originated from is not clear, although one analysis found that the genetic sequence of the new virus is 96 percent identical to one coronavirus found in bats. Both SARS and MERS originated in bats.
Where is it spreading?
The virus is now spreading all over the world.
Although it originated in China, the country took aggressive action at the start of the outbreak, shutting down transportation in some cities and suspending public gatherings. Officials isolated sick people and aggressively tracked their contacts, and had a dedicated network of hospitals to test for the virus.
Countries like New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea have successfully slowed the pandemic. The US has not, and it is an epicenter of the crisis.
How dangerous is this new virus?
It takes information about both how severe an illness is and how easily it can spread to determine how “bad” it can be. Epidemiologists often use this tool to assess new strains of the flu, for example:
Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If an illness isn’t very severe (and kills only a small percentage of people), but it’s highly transmissible, it can still be devastating. An easily transmitted illness that kills a small percentage of the people it infects can still cause a lot of deaths, precisely because so many people get sick.
The WHO named the illness caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 — “co” and “vi” for coronavirus, “d” for disease, and “19” for the year when the disease emerged.
COVID-19 is a serious illness, and it’s much more dangerous than the flu. One Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) projection suggests that between 160 to 214 million people will eventually be infected in the US and that between 200,000 and 1.7 million could die.
The symptoms of COVID-19 have ranged from mild, like those in a cold, to severe. Around 80 percent of confirmed cases are mild and don’t require hospitalization — at least, 80 percent of the cases that we know about. It’s still possible that there are more mild cases of the illness that haven’t been flagged, which would shrink the percentage of cases that are severe. In about 15 percent of people, the illness is severe enough that they need to be hospitalized, and about 5 percent of cases are critical. It appears around half of the people with critical cases of the illness die from it.
“Mild” cases, though, can still be debilitating. Some people with the disease say they couldn’t get out of bed for weeks. For many people, the effects of the illness linger: some people report running fevers for months or experiencing waves of fatigue that make it hard to run errands or walk up the stairs. Researchers don’t know why symptoms last so long, even after people no longer test positive for the virus.
So far, experts say that around 1 percent of people who get sick with COVID-19 will die, though it’s still too early to say for sure how often it is fatal. In the US, around 5 percent of people with confirmed cases of the virus have died from it, but that doesn’t account for the people who didn’t know they were infected or who weren't able to get tested.
Different groups of people are more at risk of having a severe case of the illness or of dying from it. Most deaths in this outbreak have been in older people and those who have underlying health issues, like heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. In that group, people are more at risk of dying. Around 14 percent of people over the age of 80 who get sick will die, for example.
How easily can the virus spread?
The virus moves rapidly. The new coronavirus spreads quickly in contained environments, like on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Early evidence suggested that, like other coronaviruses, the virus jumps between people who are in very close contact with each other. It also probably spreads when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Coughs and sneezes produce little droplets of mucus and saliva. If these droplets make it into another person’s eyes, mouth, or nose, they can get sick. The viruses in those little droplets can also fall onto surfaces, like tables or doorknobs — if someone touches that surface and touches their eyes, mouth, or nose, they can also get sick.
The smallest of those droplets can also linger in the air after a sick person coughs or sneezes or when they breathe and talk. People can probably get infected by those clouds of lingering droplets, even though scientists still don’t know how often that actually happens. That’s why being inside, particularly in poorly ventilated rooms, is dangerous: tiny virus-carrying droplets wouldn’t circulate out in the same way they would outdoors.
We also don’t know when people with COVID-19 become contagious or how long being contagious lasts. One study of nine people in Germany with mild cases of the illness found that they had high levels of the virus in their throats early on in the course of the disease before they felt very sick. Research out of China showed that people without symptoms still have high levels of the virus in their throats and noses.
It’s probably possible for people to spread the virus to others before they feel sick. It’s also possible that people who never feel sick and are truly asymptomatic can infect other people. Researchers still don’t know how often those people actually end up spreading the disease. Some studies suggest that people who do have symptoms are much more likely to spread the virus to others.
Each sick person will go on to infect, on average, between 1.4 and 2.5 additional people, the WHO says, though that’s an early estimate. Other teams of researchers have published their own estimates, with most saying a sick person will infect an average of around two or three people.
Those numbers are called the virus’s R0 (pronounced “R-naught”). The R0 is the mathematical representation of how well an infection might be able to spread. The higher the number, the easier the disease is to spread. For comparison, the R0 for SARS was between two and five. But that doesn’t mean each sick person will actually infect that many people; quarantines and other actions taken to control outbreaks of a virus can bring down the number of people a sick person infects.
The R0 is also just an average. Researchers think this particular illness happens in clusters and tends to cause “superspreading” events. Some estimate that as few as 10 percent of COVID-19 cases are responsible for 80 percent of the disease’s spread — that is, most people don’t infect anyone else, and a few people set off chain reactions that infect dozens.
Can we treat this virus?
Since the start of the pandemic, doctors have gotten better at treating patients with COVID-19 in the hospital. There still isn’t much doctors can do for people with mild cases of the illness who aren’t sick enough to be hospitalized. But trials of synthetic antibodies are underway, and they might be able to help prevent people who catch the virus from becoming seriously ill.
In October, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved remdesivir, an antiviral medication originally developed for Ebola, to treat the disease — even though clinical trials found that it only has a limited benefit.
There was a lot of early hype around the anti-malaria medication chloroquine, but clinical trials showed that it doesn’t actually help COVID-19 patients. Clinical trials did show, though, that a cheap steroid called dexamethasone could help people who are hospitalized with very severe cases of the disease.
Research teams and pharmaceutical companies are also working to develop a vaccine that can protect people from infection. However, vaccine development takes a long time. Even if everything goes smoothly, it will be around a year to 18 months from the start of the development process before one is available, said Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
What can I do to protect myself and others?
Stay home if you’re feeling sick, even if you’re just a little bit under the weather. Stay home as much as possible even if you’re not feeling sick. If you do go out, wear a cloth mask or face covering when you’re out in public, especially in places where it’s hard to stay far away from others. While they’re not perfect, a cloth face covering could help stop you from spreading virus-laden particles to other people, even if you don’t know you’re sick. They could also partially block the virus from reaching your nose or mouth. If everyone wears them, some studies show they could help slow the spread of the virus.
Many states are slowly starting to let restaurants, barbershops, and retail stores open, even though the disease is still spreading rapidly in some places. The CDC released guidelines on June 12th, outlining the relative risk of everyday activities and the ways people should protect themselves when they venture out to the bank or the gym.
Spending time with a few people is less risky than hanging out with a large group, and everyone should wear masks and keep at a distance, the CDC says. The risk of contracting COVID-19 (or spreading it) goes up if you spend time with other people indoors rather than outside.
Before deciding if you should do a particular activity, the agency recommends thinking about how many new cases are being reported each day in your area. If the case numbers are low, the risk is lower than if hundreds of new people are being diagnosed with COVID-19 each day. You should also think about how closely you’d be interacting with other people (and if they’d be wearing a mask).
If you’re a young, healthy person, you might not feel very sick if you catch COVID-19. But you could pass it on to someone older or with a chronic health condition who is more likely to have a severe case of the disease.
Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If I already had COVID-19, am I immune?
Many researchers think that after someone is infected with the coronavirus, there’s a good chance that person won’t get sick from the virus again for some still-undetermined amount of time. That’s based on what scientists know about how most viruses work. Usually, when you’re sick from a viral infection, your body develops antibodies against that virus. The next time you’re exposed to the virus, those antibodies could stop it from turning into a raging illness — though that isn’t always the case.
There isn’t concrete evidence that people who got sick once with COVID-19 can’t get sick again because no studies have specifically tested that idea. But virologists don’t think that this virus behaves differently than most other viruses — so people who did get sick are probably protected. The question, though, is for how long: for some viruses, the protection fades after a year or a few years. There aren’t answers to that question yet.
What’s happening in the US?
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in response to the coronavirus at the end of January, and President Trump declared a federal emergency in March.
As the overall case counts rose through March and April, governors and local officials closed nonessential businesses and told people to work from home and stay away from others. The interventions are helped to slow the spread of the disease in some areas, but many states — including Texas, Arizona, and Florida — lifted restrictions before public health experts thought it was safe.
Through the summer of 2020, cases in those places rapidly increased. After a long plateau, spikes in some Southern and Western US states pushed up new daily case numbers in the US. A fall surge hit the whole country, sending case numbers above the summer highs. The Midwest has the highest burden of disease, but hospitalizations are climbing all over the country.
Early in 2020, the virus spread undetected for weeks in the US. Initially, CDC guidelines did not allow testing unless a sick person had been in a country with an ongoing spread of the virus or who had been in contact with someone with a confirmed case of the disease could be tested. That delayed the diagnosis of patients who did not have those risk factors.
The US is doing around one million COVID-19 tests per day, according to data collected by volunteers at the COVID Tracking Project. Testing was slow to get off the ground in the US. It took too long for the FDA and the CDC to develop and distribute a functioning test and longer still for testing capacity to increase.
Many public health agencies across the country also still aren’t getting in touch with everyone who tests positive for the virus to find the people they may have exposed — a critical public health tool called contact tracing. The US needs to scale up its contact tracing workforce in order to control the outbreak.


theverge--2020-03-03--Google and Microsoft are giving away enterprise conferencing tools due to coronavirus

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has pushed more companies and organizations to transition to remote work , and now both Google and Microsoft have said they will grant access to their more robust teleconferencing and collaboration tools that are typically only available to enterprise customers to make it easier for people to work from home .
Both companies are only offering free access for a limited time .
Google announced this morning that it would be rolling out free access to “ advanced ” features for Hangouts Meet to all G Suite and G Suite for Education customers globally through July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings with up to 250 participants , live stream to up to 100,000 viewers within a single domain , and record and save meetings to Google Drive .
Normally , Google charges $ 13 extra per user per month for these features in addition to G Suite access under its “ enterprise ” tier , which adds up to a total of $ 25 per user per month .
Microsoft will also be offering a free six-month trial globally for a premium tier of Microsoft Teams , Business Insider first reported on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals , schools , and businesses in China to get up and running quickly on Microsoft Teams , where the free offer is already available .
The global rollout of the free offer will be completed by March 10th .
That same day , Microsoft says it will also roll out an update to the free version of Teams that will lift restrictions on how many users can be part of a team and allow users to schedule video calls and conferences .
Both Google and Microsoft have also responded to COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , by canceling conferences taking place in April and May .
Google has also halted most international travel for employees , and Microsoft has recommended that employees work remotely to help prevent the spread of the disease .

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has pushed more companies and organizations to transition to remote work, and now both Google and Microsoft have said they will grant access to their more robust teleconferencing and collaboration tools that are typically only available to enterprise customers to make it easier for people to work from home. Both companies are only offering free access for a limited time.
Google announced this morning that it would be rolling out free access to “advanced” features for Hangouts Meet to all G Suite and G Suite for Education customers globally through July 1st. That means organizations can host meetings with up to 250 participants, live stream to up to 100,000 viewers within a single domain, and record and save meetings to Google Drive. Normally, Google charges $13 extra per user per month for these features in addition to G Suite access under its “enterprise” tier, which adds up to a total of $25 per user per month.
Microsoft is offering a free six-month trial globally for a premium tier of Microsoft Teams, Business Insider first reported on Tuesday. The tier was originally designed to enable hospitals, schools, and businesses in China to get up and running quickly on Microsoft Teams, and that tier is now available globally. However, when you try to sign up for it, you’ll be prompted to work with a Microsoft partner or a member of Microsoft’s sales team to get it set up.
On March 10th, Microsoft says it will also roll out an update to the free version of Teams that will lift restrictions on how many users can be part of a team and allow users to schedule video calls and conferences.
Both Google and Microsoft have also responded to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, by canceling conferences taking place in April and May. Google has also halted most international travel for employees, and Microsoft has recommended that employees work remotely to help prevent the spread of the disease.


theverge--2020-03-03--Ford announces an all-electric Transit cargo van

Ford is making an all-electric version of its popular Transit cargo van for the US and Canadian markets , slated to be released in 2021 .
The company did not share any specifics about the van ’ s battery pack size , estimated range , or performance characteristics .
Ford previously announced an electric Transit for the European market in 2019 .
The new cargo van will come equipped with a 4G LTE hotspot and will be outfitted with a number of tech features designed for fleet managers , like live GPS tracking and diagnostics .
The electric Transit van @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ford ’ s safety and driver assistance features , like collision warning and assist , automatic emergency braking , pedestrian detection , and automatic lane-keeping .
Ford said it didn ’ t have any news to share about an electric version of its Transit passenger van “ at this time.
” Ford ’ s Transit van is the bestselling cargo van in the US , though it has seen increased competition over the last few years from Mercedes-Benz , which recently refreshed its popular Sprinter van .
Mercedes-Benz has already unveiled an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes in two configurations .
There ’ s a version with a 55kWh battery pack that can travel 168 kilometers ( 104 miles ) on a full charge , and has a payload capacity of 891 kilograms ( 1,964 pounds ) .
Mercedes-Benz is making a version with a smaller 41kWh battery pack that goes 115 kilometers ( 72 miles ) , but which can carry up to 1,045 ( 2,304 pounds ) .
Both versions come with 10.5 cubic meters ( 370.8 cubic feet ) of storage space .
Mercedes-Benz also announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is an electric van aimed at slightly more everyday use .
The company touted more promising specs with the slightly smaller EQV , saying it will get around 249 miles out of a 100kWh battery pack .
Oh , and it has 200 horsepower on offer and will be equipped with the company ’ s MBUX infotainment system .
Another player in the space is EV startup Rivian , which will build 100,000 electric delivery vans for Amazon over the next few years .
Ford has invested $ 500 million in Rivian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a luxury electric SUV for the automotive giant ’ s Lincoln brand , though the two van projects don ’ t seem to be related .
Ford is also collaborating with Volkswagen on commercial vans after the two companies formed a global alliance early last year .

Ford is making an all-electric version of its popular Transit cargo van for the US and Canadian markets, slated to be released in 2021. The company did not share any specifics about the van’s battery pack size, estimated range, or performance characteristics. Ford previously announced an electric Transit for the European market in 2019.
The new cargo van will come equipped with a 4G LTE hotspot and will be outfitted with a number of tech features designed for fleet managers, like live GPS tracking and diagnostics. The electric Transit van will also be equipped with a number of Ford’s safety and driver assistance features, like collision warning and assist, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and automatic lane-keeping.
Ford said it didn’t have any news to share about an electric version of its Transit passenger van “at this time.”
Ford’s Transit van is the bestselling cargo van in the US, though it has seen increased competition over the last few years from Mercedes-Benz, which recently refreshed its popular Sprinter van.
A teaser image released by Ford on Tuesday. Image: Ford
Mercedes-Benz has already unveiled an electric version of the Sprinter, which comes in two configurations. There’s a version with a 55kWh battery pack that can travel 168 kilometers (104 miles) on a full charge, and has a payload capacity of 891 kilograms (1,964 pounds). Mercedes-Benz is making a version with a smaller 41kWh battery pack that goes 115 kilometers (72 miles), but which can carry up to 1,045 (2,304 pounds). Both versions come with 10.5 cubic meters (370.8 cubic feet) of storage space.
Mercedes-Benz also announced the EQV concept a year ago, which is an electric van aimed at slightly more everyday use. The company touted more promising specs with the slightly smaller EQV, saying it will get around 249 miles out of a 100kWh battery pack. Oh, and it has 200 horsepower on offer and will be equipped with the company’s MBUX infotainment system.


theverge--2020-03-03--Panic buying of masks puts health care workers’ ‘lives at risk,’ WHO says

A shortage of masks , gloves , and other protective gear “ is putting lives at risk from the new coronavirus and other infectious diseases ” warned the World Health Organization ( WHO ) in a statement on Tuesday .
A frightened public has been buying up masks and other equipment , leaving limited supplies for health care workers who need the gear the most .
Masks can be useful for people who are sick with a respiratory virus to keep them from spreading the illness to others .
They are most useful for health care workers who come face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health experts , including those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , do not currently recommend that people who are well wear masks as protection against diseases like the new coronavirus .
People have bought them anyway , in such huge amounts that the WHO is worried that the people who need them the most won ’ t be able to get them .
Supplies are dwindling .
The price of surgical gowns has doubled ; the price of surgical masks is now six times higher than it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Without secure supply chains , the risk to healthcare workers around the world is real , ” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement .
“ Industry and governments must act quickly to boost supply , ease export restrictions and put measures in place to stop speculation and hoarding .
We can ’ t stop COVID-19 without protecting health workers first.
” The surgeon general recently made a similar appeal over Twitter begging people to stop buying masks .
He also warned that improperly wearing masks could actually increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO is asking manufacturers to increase production by 40 percent .
They estimate that 89 million masks will be needed by health care workers every month , along with 76 million gloves and 1.6 million goggles .
TV manufacturer Sharp recently announced that they would start making masks in one of their Japanese factories this month , in order to deal with the growing shortage of the products .
Amazon has warned sellers against price gouging items like masks .
The company has also scrubbed a million products making misleading claims about curing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the new coronavirus .
More than 90,000 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed globally , and more than 3,000 people have died .
Health officials recommend that people protect themselves from the disease by staying home when sick , covering their mouths when they sneeze , and washing their hands thoroughly and frequently .

A shortage of masks, gloves, and other protective gear “is putting lives at risk from the new coronavirus and other infectious diseases” warned the World Health Organization (WHO) in a statement on Tuesday. A frightened public has been buying up masks and other equipment, leaving limited supplies for health care workers who need the gear the most.
Masks can be useful for people who are sick with a respiratory virus to keep them from spreading the illness to others. They are most useful for health care workers who come face to face with disease every day.
Health experts, including those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), do not currently recommend that people who are well wear masks as protection against diseases like the new coronavirus. People have bought them anyway, in such huge amounts that the WHO is worried that the people who need them the most won’t be able to get them. Supplies are dwindling. The price of surgical gowns has doubled; the price of surgical masks is now six times higher than it was at the start of the outbreak.
“Without secure supply chains, the risk to healthcare workers around the world is real,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “Industry and governments must act quickly to boost supply, ease export restrictions and put measures in place to stop speculation and hoarding. We can’t stop COVID-19 without protecting health workers first.”
The surgeon general recently made a similar appeal over Twitter begging people to stop buying masks. He also warned that improperly wearing masks could actually increase the spread of the disease.
The WHO is asking manufacturers to increase production by 40 percent. They estimate that 89 million masks will be needed by health care workers every month, along with 76 million gloves and 1.6 million goggles.
TV manufacturer Sharp recently announced that they would start making masks in one of their Japanese factories this month, in order to deal with the growing shortage of the products. Amazon has warned sellers against price gouging items like masks. The company has also scrubbed a million products making misleading claims about curing or preventing COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.


theverge--2020-03-03--Facebook is shifting its Libra cryptocurrency plans after intense regulatory pressure

Facebook is altering its plans for its Libra cryptocurrency project following months of severe regulatory pressure and political pushback , according to a new report from The Information published on Tuesday .
According to the report , Facebook no longer intends to make the Libra token — the actual blockchain-based cryptocurrency it ’ s in the process of developing in partnership with the nonprofit Libra Association — the centerpiece of its digital payments strategy .
Instead , Facebook ’ s Libra project will reportedly transition to supporting both existing government-backed currencies , like the US dollar and the euro , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually completed and ready to launch .
Additionally , The Information says Facebook is delaying the launch of its separate Calibra digital wallet , which was to be a primary showcase for the Libra technology by allowing anyone with a smartphone to acquire and store the cryptocurrency and then pay for various goods with it .
The wallet will now support multiple currencies , of which Libra will be just one .
Facebook will no longer promote its own digital currency and instead use existing ones Calibra , originally slated to launch this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October , The Information reports .
The wallet , instead of becoming available all over the world at launch , may have its availability restricted to whatever government-backed currencies the Libra project eventually supports within the app .
That could slow Calibra ’ s rollout .
The Information says Calibra ’ s core money-storing and transfer features are still scheduled to come to both Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp , too , although it ’ s unclear what the timeline for that process will be relative to Calibra ’ s planned October launch .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to offer the Libra currency in its Calibra wallet is entirely incorrect .
Facebook remains fully committed to the project , ” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement given to The Verge , referencing The Information ’ s initial assertion that the company was no longer planning to support the Libra token in its digital wallet .
The Information has since corrected its report .
The Libra project was first announced in June of last year as a bold yet risky endeavor to revolutionize money transfer and position Facebook and its partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , blockchain-based digital payments industry .
It had two parts : a Libra token , designed broadly similar to other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin but with fundamental differences intended to make it more stable and less of a speculative asset , and a blockchain network that would be the technical foundation of the token and the tool for verifying transactions and token ownership .
Facebook anticipated at least some scrutiny , so it created a nonprofit , called the Libra Association , of which Facebook and its new Calibra subsidiary would represent only one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 27 other companies and nonprofits .
That group , based out of Zurich , Switzerland , has been tasked with overseeing the cryptocurrency ’ s development , as well as the blockchain network that would support it .
The currency was also to be supported by a pool of assets , including existing currencies from around the world , contributed by the various participating members , which at launch included big names like Mastercard , PayPal , Stripe , and Visa .
Despite those measures , the Libra project was met with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political spectrum .
Regulators were concerned about Facebook ’ s potential outsize influence on the project , due to the company having conceived of the idea and having a financial interest in its success , and the unforeseen consequences of allowing for-profit companies to begin issuing currencies and injecting themselves into global economics and geopolitics .
There were also concerns over how to classify the Libra token , and how the entire platform would be properly regulated and by whom , especially as it moved toward offering banking services like lending , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time of Libra ’ s announcement .
Chief among the concerns was the ability for the currency and the technology it sat on top of to allow people to move money around undetected and away from the banking system , potentially leading to money laundering and other criminal activities .
The project began hitting serious snags last fall when regulatory pressure and a lack of firm response from Facebook and its various Libra defenders led to Mastercard , PayPal , Stripe , and Visa all bowing out of the Libra Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook ’ s blockchain chief David Marcus , a former PayPal executive who ran Facebook Messenger for years , has tempered the project ’ s overall goals when speaking publicly about it .
Now , The Information reports , that ’ s finally translating to product delays and measures intended , it seems , to appease regulators .

Facebook is altering its plans for its Libra cryptocurrency project following months of severe regulatory pressure and political pushback, according to a new report from The Information published on Tuesday.
According to the report, Facebook no longer intends to make the Libra token — the actual blockchain-based cryptocurrency it’s in the process of developing in partnership with the nonprofit Libra Association — the centerpiece of its digital payments strategy. Instead, Facebook’s Libra project will reportedly transition to supporting both existing government-backed currencies, like the US dollar and the euro, and the Libra token when it is eventually completed and ready to launch.
Additionally, The Information says Facebook is delaying the launch of its separate Calibra digital wallet, which was to be a primary showcase for the Libra technology by allowing anyone with a smartphone to acquire and store the cryptocurrency and then pay for various goods with it. The wallet will now support multiple currencies, of which Libra will be just one.
Facebook will no longer promote its own digital currency and instead use existing ones
Calibra, originally slated to launch this summer, is now coming out in October, The Information reports. The wallet, instead of becoming available all over the world at launch, may have its availability restricted to whatever government-backed currencies the Libra project eventually supports within the app. That could slow Calibra’s rollout. The Information says Calibra’s core money-storing and transfer features are still scheduled to come to both Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, too, although it’s unclear what the timeline for that process will be relative to Calibra’s planned October launch.
“Reporting that Facebook does not intend to offer the Libra currency in its Calibra wallet is entirely incorrect. Facebook remains fully committed to the project,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement given to The Verge, referencing The Information’s initial assertion that the company was no longer planning to support the Libra token in its digital wallet. The Information has since corrected its report.
The Libra project was first announced in June of last year as a bold yet risky endeavor to revolutionize money transfer and position Facebook and its partners on the ground floor of a new, blockchain-based digital payments industry. It had two parts: a Libra token, designed broadly similar to other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin but with fundamental differences intended to make it more stable and less of a speculative asset, and a blockchain network that would be the technical foundation of the token and the tool for verifying transactions and token ownership.
Facebook anticipated at least some scrutiny, so it created a nonprofit, called the Libra Association, of which Facebook and its new Calibra subsidiary would represent only one member. It included, at launch, 27 other companies and nonprofits. That group, based out of Zurich, Switzerland, has been tasked with overseeing the cryptocurrency’s development, as well as the blockchain network that would support it. The currency was also to be supported by a pool of assets, including existing currencies from around the world, contributed by the various participating members, which at launch included big names like Mastercard, PayPal, Stripe, and Visa.
Despite those measures, the Libra project was met with swift and vocal backlash from across the political spectrum. Regulators were concerned about Facebook’s potential outsize influence on the project, due to the company having conceived of the idea and having a financial interest in its success, and the unforeseen consequences of allowing for-profit companies to begin issuing currencies and injecting themselves into global economics and geopolitics.
There were also concerns over how to classify the Libra token, and how the entire platform would be properly regulated and by whom, especially as it moved toward offering banking services like lending, which Facebook openly expressed interest in via Calibra at the time of Libra’s announcement. Chief among the concerns was the ability for the currency and the technology it sat on top of to allow people to move money around undetected and away from the banking system, potentially leading to money laundering and other criminal activities.


theverge--2020-03-03--Microsoft strikes a new deal with NFL to have all 32 teams use Microsoft Teams

Microsoft and the NFL have renewed and expanded their partnership , making Microsoft Teams the league ’ s official communication platform and keeping Surface products as the official tablet .
The expanded partnership is a huge win for the tech giant weeks after IBM chose Slack over Microsoft Teams as the internal communication tool for its employees .
Microsoft Teams will now be used by all 32 NFL teams , according to Microsoft .
The service allows organizations to connect to one communication hub to host calls , chats , meetings , as well as manage internal calendars and documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Windows devices .
Throughout the years , Microsoft has invested a ton of money into the deal , including creating modified Surface tablets used primarily as a sideline tool to replace black-and-white photographs .
The pair ’ s partnership hasn ’ t always been smooth sailing .
Back in 2016 , Microsoft had to defend its Surface tablets after the New England Patriots stopped using them .
A couple of years prior to that , the tech giant also had to “ coach ” the league ’ s announcers to not call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Microsoft and Slack has been on the rise when it comes to which company can provide a better communication platform .
Microsoft topped Slack in active daily users last July , announcing 13 million daily users .
In the last few months , Microsoft upped the ante by launching a TV ad campaign and announcing a new walkie-talkie feature .

Microsoft and the NFL have renewed and expanded their partnership, making Microsoft Teams the league’s official communication platform and keeping Surface products as the official tablet. The expanded partnership is a huge win for the tech giant weeks after IBM chose Slack over Microsoft Teams as the internal communication tool for its employees.
Microsoft Teams will now be used by all 32 NFL teams, according to Microsoft. The service allows organizations to connect to one communication hub to host calls, chats, meetings, as well as manage internal calendars and documents across Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows devices. Throughout the years, Microsoft has invested a ton of money into the deal, including creating modified Surface tablets used primarily as a sideline tool to replace black-and-white photographs.
The pair’s partnership hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Back in 2016, Microsoft had to defend its Surface tablets after the New England Patriots stopped using them. A couple of years prior to that, the tech giant also had to “coach” the league’s announcers to not call its tablets iPads.


theverge--2020-03-03--The earliest known deaths from COVID-19 in the US went undetected for a week

Two people who died last week in Seattle had undetected cases of COVID-19 , the illness caused by the novel coronavirus , The New York Times reported .
One person was hospitalized on February 24th and died on February 26th .
The other also died on February 26th at a nursing facility .
There have now been nine deaths from the novel coronavirus in the US .
Both of the people who died last week were residents at the Life Care long-term nursing facility in Kirkland , Washington , where there ’ s an ongoing outbreak of the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in elderly Life Care residents , and dozens of other residents and staff have symptoms of the virus .
A person in North Carolina infected with the novel coronavirus was first exposed at the facility , as well .
The deaths and continued spread of the virus from the cluster in Washington highlight the problems with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s ( CDC ) initial recommendations for health care providers on when to test people .
The agency wasn ’ t recommending testing for anyone who hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick people , which made it easy to miss any undetected circulation of the virus in the community .
That ’ s why the people who died on the 26th weren ’ t tested until this week .
These particular deaths are worrying to public health experts because both patients were hospitalized and treated before they were diagnosed .
That means they may have exposed health care workers , who wouldn ’ t have known to take the precautions normally made when treating COVID-19 patients .
More local and state health labs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having the novel coronavirus , and the CDC says that testing capacity is set to increase over the next week .
The CDC ’ s guidance , though , still says that people who haven ’ t traveled to countries with outbreaks and who have not been in contact with people sick with COVID-19 shouldn ’ t be tested unless they ’ re sick enough that they need to be hospitalized .
That guidance likely won ’ t be sufficient to pick up any virus spreading among people who don ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 85 percent of cases .
There are currently over 90,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world , and over 3,000 people have died from the disease .

Two people who died last week in Seattle had undetected cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, The New York Times reported. One person was hospitalized on February 24th and died on February 26th. The other also died on February 26th at a nursing facility. There have now been nine deaths from the novel coronavirus in the US.
Both of the people who died last week were residents at the Life Care long-term nursing facility in Kirkland, Washington, where there’s an ongoing outbreak of the virus. Several of the deaths previously announced were in elderly Life Care residents, and dozens of other residents and staff have symptoms of the virus. A person in North Carolina infected with the novel coronavirus was first exposed at the facility, as well.
The deaths and continued spread of the virus from the cluster in Washington highlight the problems with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) initial recommendations for health care providers on when to test people. The agency wasn’t recommending testing for anyone who hadn’t traveled to countries with high numbers of sick people, which made it easy to miss any undetected circulation of the virus in the community. That’s why the people who died on the 26th weren’t tested until this week.
These particular deaths are worrying to public health experts because both patients were hospitalized and treated before they were diagnosed. That means they may have exposed health care workers, who wouldn’t have known to take the precautions normally made when treating COVID-19 patients.
More local and state health labs are now able to test people suspected of having the novel coronavirus, and the CDC says that testing capacity is set to increase over the next week. The CDC’s guidance, though, still says that people who haven’t traveled to countries with outbreaks and who have not been in contact with people sick with COVID-19 shouldn’t be tested unless they’re sick enough that they need to be hospitalized. That guidance likely won’t be sufficient to pick up any virus spreading among people who don’t get severely ill, which is around 80 to 85 percent of cases.


theverge--2020-03-03--Microsoft teases new Windows 10 Start menu that de-emphasizes Live Tiles

Microsoft is “ exploring ” a new Windows 10 Start menu design that will see the company de-emphasize its Live Tiles .
The potential changes were revealed in a Windows Insider podcast today and are designed to “ visually differentiate the Start menu from something that ’ s chaotic color to something that ’ s more uniform.
” Microsoft is looking at reducing the color of the blocks of the tiled interface on the Start menu to simplify it and make it easier to scan for apps .
The software maker has been using Live Tiles on the Start menu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly five years ago , providing animated and flipping icons that were similar to Windows Phone .
Microsoft has already dropped Live Tiles from its Windows 10X Start menu for dual screens , but the company claims the colorful tiled interface isn ’ t going away in the main desktop OS despite this new design direction .
“ Live Tiles are not going away , we have not announced anything of the sort , ” says Brandon LeBlanc , a senior program manager on the Windows Insider team .
“ Those that enjoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to do so.
” Despite these reassurances , it certainly looks like Live Tiles will be scrapped fully at some point in the future .
Not all of Microsoft ’ s built-in Windows 10 apps support them , and developer support hasn ’ t been strong either .
Sources familiar with Microsoft ’ s plans tell The Verge that a final decision on Live Tiles in Windows 10 hasn ’ t been made yet despite rumors , and that the feedback from the change in Windows 10X will determine their future .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ very different to the existing menu found in the desktop version of Windows 10 .
It includes apps you can pin in place and a list of recent documents , and looks like more of a task launcher than what exists right now .
Windows 10 ’ s Start menu design has come into focus recently after Microsoft started rolling out colorful new Windows 10 icons .
The new icons clash a little with the colorful background of the Start menu tiles , and this small design update is clearly aimed at resolving @ @

Microsoft is “exploring” a new Windows 10 Start menu design that will see the company de-emphasize its Live Tiles. The potential changes were revealed in a Windows Insider podcast today and are designed to “visually differentiate the Start menu from something that’s chaotic color to something that’s more uniform.” Microsoft is looking at reducing the color of the blocks of the tiled interface on the Start menu to simplify it and make it easier to scan for apps.
The software maker has been using Live Tiles on the Start menu in Windows 10 ever since it launched nearly five years ago, providing animated and flipping icons that were similar to Windows Phone. Microsoft has already dropped Live Tiles from its Windows 10X Start menu for dual screens, but the company claims the colorful tiled interface isn’t going away in the main desktop OS despite this new design direction.
“Live Tiles are not going away, we have not announced anything of the sort,” says Brandon LeBlanc, a senior program manager on the Windows Insider team. “Those that enjoy their Live Tiles will continue to be able to do so.”
Before (with color background) and after (with transparency)
Despite these reassurances, it certainly looks like Live Tiles will be scrapped fully at some point in the future. Not all of Microsoft’s built-in Windows 10 apps support them, and developer support hasn’t been strong either. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that a final decision on Live Tiles in Windows 10 hasn’t been made yet despite rumors, and that the feedback from the change in Windows 10X will determine their future.


theverge--2020-03-03--Facebook fact-checking is becoming a political cudgel

Facebook ’ s fact-checking program is designed to stop false information from spreading .
But being able to decide what ’ s true can also be a political weapon , and for the past few days , it ’ s been used in a fight over President Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus response .
The battle centers on a recent Politico article about a South Carolina Trump rally , where Trump urged supporters to “ treat coronavirus as a ‘ hoax.
’ ” According to Facebook , this is a false statement that merits a prominent warning and potential damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook users — but the truth is more complicated .
Judd Legum ’ s newsletter Popular Information lays out the full contours of the controversy .
Essentially , Politico ’ s Facebook post was flagged by Check Your Fact , a fact-checking group linked to conservative website The Daily Caller .
Check Your Fact took issue with the post ’ s title and its text : “ President Trump on Friday night tried to cast the global outbreak of the coronavirus as a liberal conspiracy intended to undermine his first term , lumping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Check Your Fact rated Politico ’ s claims “ false information , ” explaining that “ Trump referred to the alleged ‘ politicizing ’ of the coronavirus by Democrats as ‘ their new hoax.
’ He did not refer to the coronavirus itself as a hoax.
” Since the site is one of Facebook ’ s trusted fact-checking partners , Facebook then splashed a warning over posts linking to the article .
As Legum explains , though , Trump ’ s comments were characteristically ambiguous .
He argued that “ Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look bad .
Then , he launched into a comparison with his impeachment : “ One of my people came up to me and said : Mr. President , they tried to beat you on Russia Russia , Russia .
That didn ’ t work out too well , they couldn ’ t do it .
They tried the impeachment hoax , that was on a perfect conversation .
They tried anything , they tried it over and over , they ’ ve been doing it since you got in .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s all turning , think of it .
And this is their new hoax.
” Trump surrogates said after the rally that he wasn ’ t calling coronavirus a hoax .
“ He was referring to the way he had been treated by the opposite party … in terms of taking every opportunity to bring him down , ” said Surgeon General Jerome Adams on SiriusXM ’ s The Black Eagle with Joe Madison .
And you can argue that Trump is limiting his claim to Democrats arguing he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the speech simply compares coronavirus to the “ impeachment hoax ” ( which Trump describes as a “ perfect conversation ” that Democrats twisted into something negative ) , so it ’ s also easy to argue that Trump is saying the coronavirus itself is similarly overblown .
In short , Trump is making a weird and unclear statement , followed by conflicting notes on how seriously we should be taking the coronavirus outbreak .
And The Daily Caller ’ s fact-checking wing is using its power — fairly or not — to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has in fact made reckless and false claims downplaying the threat .
Legum argues that The Daily Caller ’ s seriously flawed editorial record makes it unfit to judge truth .
But even leaving that aside , fact-checking is often politically fraught — The Washington Post has been accused of nitpicking claims by Sen. Bernie Sanders in an ideologically motivated way as well .
Perhaps the most notable thing about this case is that conservatives are usually the ones arguing Facebook has censored them .
Now , figures like Donald Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook [ weighed ] in ” on their side .
So far , nobody involved is changing their mind on the situation .
In response to questions from The Verge , a Facebook spokesperson said that “ all fact-checkers on Facebook are certified by Poynter ’ s International Fact-Checking Network and work independently of Facebook .
There ’ s an appeals process in place for publishers to dispute a rating by reaching out directly to any certified fact-checker.
” The spokesperson also directed us to a tweet by journalist Mathew Ingram , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Daily Caller ’ s editor-in-chief Geoffrey Ingersoll told Popular Information that the fact-check was “ correct.
” Meanwhile , Politico communications manager Brad Dayspring defended his site ’ s work .
“ We stand by the reporting and are proud of Politico ’ s long established reputation for accurate , nonpartisan , and impactful journalism , ” he told The Verge .
But whichever side you take , it ’ s clear that Facebook fact-checking is a powerful tool .
Articles that are rated false can have their visibility severely limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the site ’ s overall rating with Facebook ’ s algorithm .
Fact-checking is a response to a serious misinformation problem on social media , and there are a lot of clear-cut coronavirus hoaxes floating around .
But that system also makes Facebook — and more importantly , its partners — an arbiter of truth .
Users are left hoping that Facebook ’ s fact-checking seal of approval is used in good faith .

Facebook’s fact-checking program is designed to stop false information from spreading. But being able to decide what’s true can also be a political weapon, and for the past few days, it’s been used in a fight over President Donald Trump’s coronavirus response.
The battle centers on a recent Politico article about a South Carolina Trump rally, where Trump urged supporters to “treat coronavirus as a ‘hoax.’” According to Facebook, this is a false statement that merits a prominent warning and potential damage to Politico’s ability to reach Facebook users — but the truth is more complicated.
Judd Legum’s newsletter Popular Information lays out the full contours of the controversy. Essentially, Politico’s Facebook post was flagged by Check Your Fact, a fact-checking group linked to conservative website The Daily Caller. Check Your Fact took issue with the post’s title and its text: “President Trump on Friday night tried to cast the global outbreak of the coronavirus as a liberal conspiracy intended to undermine his first term, lumping it alongside impeachment and the Mueller investigation.”
The internet is full of viral half-truths, honest mistakes, outright lies, and other unreliable information. But in many cases, you can cut through the chaos by following a few simple rules.
Check Your Fact rated Politico’s claims “false information,” explaining that “Trump referred to the alleged ‘politicizing’ of the coronavirus by Democrats as ‘their new hoax.’ He did not refer to the coronavirus itself as a hoax.” Since the site is one of Facebook’s trusted fact-checking partners, Facebook then splashed a warning over posts linking to the article.
As Legum explains, though, Trump’s comments were characteristically ambiguous. He argued that “Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus” to make him look bad. Then, he launched into a comparison with his impeachment:
“One of my people came up to me and said: Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia Russia, Russia. That didn’t work out too well, they couldn’t do it. They tried the impeachment hoax, that was on a perfect conversation. They tried anything, they tried it over and over, they’ve been doing it since you got in. It’s all turning, they lost, it’s all turning, think of it. And this is their new hoax.”
Trump surrogates said after the rally that he wasn’t calling coronavirus a hoax. “He was referring to the way he had been treated by the opposite party … in terms of taking every opportunity to bring him down,” said Surgeon General Jerome Adams on SiriusXM’s The Black Eagle with Joe Madison. And you can argue that Trump is limiting his claim to Democrats arguing he’s not prepared for the coronavirus. But the speech simply compares coronavirus to the “impeachment hoax” (which Trump describes as a “perfect conversation” that Democrats twisted into something negative), so it’s also easy to argue that Trump is saying the coronavirus itself is similarly overblown.
In short, Trump is making a weird and unclear statement, followed by conflicting notes on how seriously we should be taking the coronavirus outbreak. And The Daily Caller’s fact-checking wing is using its power — fairly or not — to push an interpretation favored by Trump, who has in fact made reckless and false claims downplaying the threat.
Legum argues that The Daily Caller’s seriously flawed editorial record makes it unfit to judge truth. But even leaving that aside, fact-checking is often politically fraught — The Washington Post has been accused of nitpicking claims by Sen. Bernie Sanders in an ideologically motivated way as well.
Perhaps the most notable thing about this case is that conservatives are usually the ones arguing Facebook has censored them. Now, figures like Donald Trump, Jr. are celebrating the fact that “Facebook [weighed] in” on their side.
So far, nobody involved is changing their mind on the situation. In response to questions from The Verge, a Facebook spokesperson said that “all fact-checkers on Facebook are certified by Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network and work independently of Facebook. There’s an appeals process in place for publishers to dispute a rating by reaching out directly to any certified fact-checker.” The spokesperson also directed us to a tweet by journalist Mathew Ingram, who defended The Daily Caller’s interpretation.
The Daily Caller’s editor-in-chief Geoffrey Ingersoll told Popular Information that the fact-check was “correct.” Meanwhile, Politico communications manager Brad Dayspring defended his site’s work. “We stand by the reporting and are proud of Politico’s long established reputation for accurate, nonpartisan, and impactful journalism,” he told The Verge.


theverge--2020-03-04--This Xiaomi-backed smartwatch has incredible battery life

I have to admit that the fact that this watch is called the “ Amazfit T-Rex ” was a fairly major factor in my deciding to check it out .
Who doesn ’ t want to say they have a T-Rex on their wrist ?
A bigger factor , though , was its manufacturer ’ s claims about the watch ’ s battery life , and I ’ m surprised to confirm that the T-Rex did not disappoint .
Amazfit watches and fitness trackers are made by Huami , which is a public company funded by Xiaomi as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the manufacturer for Xiaomi-branded products like the Mi Band .
We ’ ve covered a few Amazfit products before , including one that looks just like an Apple Watch and another called the Verge that has no relation to us .
The T-Rex is the company ’ s first rugged smartwatch , and at under $ 140 it ’ s intended to significantly undercut competitors from the likes of Garmin , albeit without advanced features like blood oxygen tracking .
As you ’ d expect from the price , this isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it does feel pretty chunky and pulls off a reasonable G-Shock imitation .
Huami says it has 12 military-grade certifications that let it be operated in temperatures between minus 40 to 70 degrees Celsius ( minus 40 to 158 Fahrenheit ) and underwater up to 50 meters ( 164 feet ) .
The cheapest-feeling thing about it is the vibration motor , which doesn ’ t provide much in the way of satisfying haptic feedback .
You ’ re here to hear about the battery life ; Huami promises 20 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sleep tracking always on .
Does it achieve that ?
Well , I didn ’ t wear the T-Rex for quite that long , but I can believe it .
The day it arrived , I charged it to 100 percent and put it on my wrist .
A week later , it hadn ’ t left my wrist but was at 64 percent charge .
A week after that , it was at 30 percent .
To be clear , this isn ’ t a basic fitness tracker or a hybrid watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a nice 1.3-inch OLED screen that I actually kept at a little higher than standard brightness because I found the auto setting too aggressive .
( There is an always-on option that displays analog or digital time , though it ’ s off by default and unsurprisingly Huami says it ’ ll reduce battery life significantly . )
It has GPS , an optical heart rate sensor , and pretty much everything you ’ d expect from a regular smartwatch .
The battery capacity of 390mAh isn ’ t out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magnetic pogo-pin cable like many other watches .
I ’ ve previously never been too concerned about smartwatch battery life as long as it gets me through the day .
After all , if I need to charge it a few times a week , I might as well just charge it every night — it ’ s not like I ’ ll use it for sleep tracking just some of the time .
But battery life like this completely changes the equation .
You just start thinking of the T-Rex as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to charge maybe once or twice a month .
You almost never have to take it off .
It ’ s great .
So , how did Huami achieve this ?
Well , assuming no mysterious price-efficiency breakthrough on the processor — which isn ’ t listed on the spec sheet — I figure it must be down to the software .
Huami uses its own Amazfit operating system here rather than the notoriously power-thirsty Wear OS , and how much of a tradeoff that is for you will depend on what kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no third-party app ecosystem , for one thing .
That doesn ’ t bother me too much except for the fact that you ’ re also stuck with the 30 preloaded watch faces , none of which are customizable and only a few of which include useful things like weather data .
If you just want a bunch of G-Shock-inspired designs , that ’ s what you ’ ll find here .
But coming from the Apple Watch or Wear OS , your options are pretty limited .
Elsewhere , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are 13 trackable activities including swimming , cycling , climbing , elliptical , and so on .
You can access things like workouts easily enough , but it takes a lot of swiping and button presses .
Simple things like automatically showing playback controls when listening to music are missing .
Notifications display just fine , but you don ’ t really have any way of interacting with them .
The T-Rex leans heavily on the iOS or Android companion app for configuration ; you can ’ t configure much on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear this than a Wear OS watch I would not describe the Amazfit software as an advanced smartwatch OS , but it does the job well enough that the battery life tradeoff will probably be worth it for some people with more passive use cases like fitness tracking and notification .
Power users of more advanced smartwatches from the likes of Samsung or Apple will find it a clear step down .
But I ’ d rather wear this ( or a less rugged version of it ) than a Wear OS watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t that much more limited , and the power efficiency is a huge advantage .
I ’ m not sure exactly how Huami is making its watches last this long , but if you want a cheap smartwatch with long battery life and don ’ t need particularly complex functionality , this one is worthy of consideration .
That said , the T-Rex seems to be hard to buy in the US right now .
It was on sale on Amazon previously , but the page currently lists it as unavailable .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll return “ in the coming months or so .
”

I have to admit that the fact that this watch is called the “Amazfit T-Rex” was a fairly major factor in my deciding to check it out. Who doesn’t want to say they have a T-Rex on their wrist? A bigger factor, though, was its manufacturer’s claims about the watch’s battery life, and I’m surprised to confirm that the T-Rex did not disappoint.
Amazfit watches and fitness trackers are made by Huami, which is a public company funded by Xiaomi as part of its broad ecosystem. Huami is also the manufacturer for Xiaomi-branded products like the Mi Band.
We’ve covered a few Amazfit products before, including one that looks just like an Apple Watch and another called the Verge that has no relation to us. The T-Rex is the company’s first rugged smartwatch, and at under $140 it’s intended to significantly undercut competitors from the likes of Garmin, albeit without advanced features like blood oxygen tracking.
7 Verge Score Amazfit T-Rex $ 140 The Good Lasts nearly three weeks on a charge
Good screen
Cheap The Bad Basic software
Chunky design not for everyone
Can’t actually buy in the US right now $140 at Amazon How we rate and review products
As you’d expect from the price, this isn’t the most premium device in the world, but it does feel pretty chunky and pulls off a reasonable G-Shock imitation. Huami says it has 12 military-grade certifications that let it be operated in temperatures between minus 40 to 70 degrees Celsius (minus 40 to 158 Fahrenheit) and underwater up to 50 meters (164 feet). The cheapest-feeling thing about it is the vibration motor, which doesn’t provide much in the way of satisfying haptic feedback.
You’re here to hear about the battery life; Huami promises 20 days of use with heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking always on. Does it achieve that? Well, I didn’t wear the T-Rex for quite that long, but I can believe it. The day it arrived, I charged it to 100 percent and put it on my wrist. A week later, it hadn’t left my wrist but was at 64 percent charge. A week after that, it was at 30 percent.
To be clear, this isn’t a basic fitness tracker or a hybrid watch — it’s a full-on smartwatch with a nice 1.3-inch OLED screen that I actually kept at a little higher than standard brightness because I found the auto setting too aggressive. (There is an always-on option that displays analog or digital time, though it’s off by default and unsurprisingly Huami says it’ll reduce battery life significantly.) It has GPS, an optical heart rate sensor, and pretty much everything you’d expect from a regular smartwatch. The battery capacity of 390mAh isn’t out of the ordinary, and it charges with a magnetic pogo-pin cable like many other watches.
30 percent battery left after two solid weeks
I’ve previously never been too concerned about smartwatch battery life as long as it gets me through the day. After all, if I need to charge it a few times a week, I might as well just charge it every night — it’s not like I’ll use it for sleep tracking just some of the time. But battery life like this completely changes the equation. You just start thinking of the T-Rex as a regular watch that you’ll need to charge maybe once or twice a month. You almost never have to take it off. It’s great.
So, how did Huami achieve this? Well, assuming no mysterious price-efficiency breakthrough on the processor — which isn’t listed on the spec sheet — I figure it must be down to the software. Huami uses its own Amazfit operating system here rather than the notoriously power-thirsty Wear OS, and how much of a tradeoff that is for you will depend on what kind of a smartwatch user you are.
There is no third-party app ecosystem, for one thing. That doesn’t bother me too much except for the fact that you’re also stuck with the 30 preloaded watch faces, none of which are customizable and only a few of which include useful things like weather data. If you just want a bunch of G-Shock-inspired designs, that’s what you’ll find here. But coming from the Apple Watch or Wear OS, your options are pretty limited.
Elsewhere, the software itself is basic but functional. There are 13 trackable activities including swimming, cycling, climbing, elliptical, and so on. You can access things like workouts easily enough, but it takes a lot of swiping and button presses. Simple things like automatically showing playback controls when listening to music are missing. Notifications display just fine, but you don’t really have any way of interacting with them. The T-Rex leans heavily on the iOS or Android companion app for configuration; you can’t configure much on the watch itself.
I’d rather wear this than a Wear OS watch
I would not describe the Amazfit software as an advanced smartwatch OS, but it does the job well enough that the battery life tradeoff will probably be worth it for some people with more passive use cases like fitness tracking and notifications. Power users of more advanced smartwatches from the likes of Samsung or Apple will find it a clear step down.
But I’d rather wear this (or a less rugged version of it) than a Wear OS watch, honestly — the software isn’t that much more limited, and the power efficiency is a huge advantage. I’m not sure exactly how Huami is making its watches last this long, but if you want a cheap smartwatch with long battery life and don’t need particularly complex functionality, this one is worthy of consideration.


theverge--2020-03-04--Big tech’s coronavirus responses are getting serious

The story that truly mattered in tech yesterday was , of course , the coronavirus .
Another big conference got canceled , Google I/O in May .
That means the big , uncanceled tech events include Apple ’ s WWDC and its rumored spring event , Microsoft ’ s Build , and of course SXSW .
SXSW starts next week and despite the fact that yet more companies pulled out of it ( including longtime SXSW stalwart Mashable ) , the conference itself hasn ’ t come around to canceling .
We ’ ll see .
Since the big cancellation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to steal one of Google ’ s favorite cliches : it ’ s still “ early days ” for this virus .
Yet more cases are being discovered in the US and that pace will likely increase as testing does .
What the effects on big tech will ultimately be is still unclear .
Don ’ t shed a tear for media who can ’ t go to these events , but do feel bad for developers who won ’ t get one-on-one time with engineers .
Mostly , though , please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and do your part to help ensure the spread is limited .
Nicole Wetsman continues to keep our main article on what you need to know about the coronavirus continually updated , please give it a read .
The other big story that mattered yesterday , of course , was the Super Tuesday primary election .
We kicked off our election coverage in an official way with a series of explainers on the tech policy that ’ s going to matter this year .
They ’ ll be updated on a regular basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m proud to be associated with — but all the credit for the work goes to our policy team .
Last note : for those who have been asking if I am going to review the regular Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus , the answer is that I finally got them yesterday .
I ’ ve got a pretty good idea what to focus on , but if you have specific questions , please don ’ t hesitate to ask !
Okay actual last note : I will say that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear line of thinking about the latest Apple rumors about the MacBook beyond the obvious : hurry the hell up and get those bad keyboards replaced with something new as soon as possible .
┏ Google cancels I/O 2020 , its biggest event of the year .
┏ Amazon confirms Seattle employee is in quarantine with coronavirus .
┏ Twitter is strongly encouraging all employees to work from home to prevent spreading coronavirus .
┏ Ford bans business travel after two employees test positive for COVID-19 .
┏ Google and Microsoft are giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
┏ Pinterest now showing custom search results for coronavirus to combat misinformation .
More on the coronavirus ┏ How emergency declarations are helping governments respond to COVID-19 .
┏ The earliest known deaths from COVID-19 in the US went undetected for a week .
┏ Panic buying of masks puts health care workers ’ ‘ lives at risk , ’ WHO says .
┏ WeChat has been censoring keywords about coronavirus , study finds .
┏ Our landing page for all the guides are here : The Verge guide to the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve published yesterday : • What the 2020 election means for encryption , by Zoe Schiffer • How Congress is taking on big tech companies , by Makena Kelly • The regulatory fights facing every major tech company , by Russell Brandom • Section 230 : everything you need to know about the law protecting internet speech , by Casey Newton

The story that truly mattered in tech yesterday was, of course, the coronavirus. Another big conference got canceled, Google I/O in May. That means the big, uncanceled tech events include Apple’s WWDC and its rumored spring event, Microsoft’s Build, and of course SXSW. SXSW starts next week and despite the fact that yet more companies pulled out of it (including longtime SXSW stalwart Mashable), the conference itself hasn’t come around to canceling. We’ll see.
Since the big cancellation came from Google, I’m going to steal one of Google’s favorite cliches: it’s still “early days” for this virus. Yet more cases are being discovered in the US and that pace will likely increase as testing does. What the effects on big tech will ultimately be is still unclear.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers, software, and tech by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important tech news of the day from The Verge. You can read an archive of Processor newsletters here and subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here! Subscribe
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Don’t shed a tear for media who can’t go to these events, but do feel bad for developers who won’t get one-on-one time with engineers. Mostly, though, please just have empathy for the human cost and do your part to help ensure the spread is limited.
Nicole Wetsman continues to keep our main article on what you need to know about the coronavirus continually updated, please give it a read.
The other big story that mattered yesterday, of course, was the Super Tuesday primary election. We kicked off our election coverage in an official way with a series of explainers on the tech policy that’s going to matter this year. They’ll be updated on a regular basis and the whole project is something I’m proud to be associated with — but all the credit for the work goes to our policy team.
Last note: for those who have been asking if I am going to review the regular Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus, the answer is that I finally got them yesterday. I’ve got a pretty good idea what to focus on, but if you have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Okay actual last note: I will say that I haven’t come around to a clear line of thinking about the latest Apple rumors about the MacBook beyond the obvious: hurry the hell up and get those bad keyboards replaced with something new as soon as possible.
Coronavirus and big tech
Verge Deal of the day Apple’s AirPods Pro are $30 off at Amazon Normally $250, the Apple AirPods Pro wireless earbuds are down to $220 at Amazon. Compared to the standard AirPods, these feature better sound quality and noise cancellation. We’ve seen these drop a bit lower in price before, but that’s a pretty rare occurrence. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy . Prices displayed are based on the MSRP at time of posting.
More on the coronavirus
The Verge covers the 2020 election
If you need help sorting through data privacy bills or keeping the Justice Department rumors straight, we’ll have a single place where you can see everything laid out as clearly as possible. We’ll be refreshing these guides through the election — so whatever happens between now and November, they’ll stay up to date.


theverge--2020-03-04--One way to grow a dating app? Pay people to go on a date

Hinge is going to give people in the US a $ 100 Visa online gift card to go on date , a decision that ’ ll presumably encourage them to schedule plans while also helping the company market itself and grow .
The dating app previously partnered with bars to give its daters discounts , but this is the first time the company has given people what essentially amounts to cash .
The company has $ 25,000 , or enough money for 2,500 daters , set aside for the promotion .
To qualify , Hinge users have to pause their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 6th until 4PM ET on Saturday , March 7th .
( This is when the date should take place , according to Hinge . )
After reactivating , people have to click on their date ’ s profile and select that they “ met , ” which tells the app that they met in-person and prompts it to ask whether this is the type of person this dater would want to see again .
( Both daters can do this . )
Then , they have to go to unplugwithhinge.com and fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , email associated with their account , and a brief description of the date .
Once verified , Hinge says they ’ ll receive an email with a $ 100 Visa gift card code .
The funds are first come , first served , so activate your account as soon as 4PM ET on Saturday rolls around .
This a wild promotional campaign that I ’ m sure will get users ’ attention .
A hundred dollars is a decent amount of cash , and most apps don ’ t offer even this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owned by Match Group , has become a focal point for the company .
It acquired the app in 2018 and has since talked about it numerous times on its earnings calls .
The team is looking to keep growing and monetizing , and one way to get people to check it out is the promise of cash in exchange for a date .

Hinge is going to give people in the US a $100 Visa online gift card to go on date, a decision that’ll presumably encourage them to schedule plans while also helping the company market itself and grow. The dating app previously partnered with bars to give its daters discounts, but this is the first time the company has given people what essentially amounts to cash. The company has $25,000, or enough money for 250 daters, set aside for the promotion.
To qualify, Hinge users have to pause their accounts from 4PM ET on Friday, March 6th until 4PM ET on Saturday, March 7th. (This is when the date should take place, according to Hinge.) After reactivating, people have to click on their date’s profile and select that they “met,” which tells the app that they met in-person and prompts it to ask whether this is the type of person this dater would want to see again. (Both daters can do this.) Then, they have to go to unplugwithhinge.com and fill out a form that includes their name, email associated with their account, and a brief description of the date. Once verified, Hinge says they’ll receive an email with a $100 Visa gift card code. The funds are first come, first served, so activate your account as soon as 4PM ET on Saturday rolls around.
This a wild promotional campaign that I’m sure will get users’ attention. A hundred dollars is a decent amount of cash, and most apps don’t offer even this one-time stunt. Hinge, which is owned by Match Group, has become a focal point for the company. It acquired the app in 2018 and has since talked about it numerous times on its earnings calls. The team is looking to keep growing and monetizing, and one way to get people to check it out is the promise of cash in exchange for a date.