theverge--2020-05-19--NASA’s head of human spaceflight resigns ahead of historic SpaceX launch

The head of NASA ’ s human exploration program , Doug Loverro , has resigned less than six months after assuming the position within the agency , according to a NASA memo .
The drastic change in leadership comes just a week before NASA will launch its first astronauts from the US in nearly a decade , on top of SpaceX ’ s new Crew Dragon spacecraft .
This is the second time during the Trump administration that this role has been in turmoil .
In July 2019 , NASA demoted the original person in this position , William Gerstenmaier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associate administrator for human exploration at NASA for nearly 15 years .
Loverro took over the position in December after a long search by NASA , but now his tenure has been cut short .
“ Loverro hit the ground running this year and has made significant progress in his time at NASA.
” “ Loverro hit the ground running this year and has made significant progress in his time at NASA , ” a memo to NASA employees states .
“ His leadership of [ human exploration ] has moved us closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024 .
Loverro has dedicated more than four decades of his life in service to our country , and we thank him for his service and contributions to the agency.
” Loverro resigned on Monday , May 18th , however NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine did not mention the change to Vice President Mike Pence during the meeting of the National Space Council , which took place on Tuesday , May 19th .
In a memo to staff , Loverro attributes his resignation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but doesn ’ t explain what it was .
“ Our mission is certainly not easy , nor for the faint of heart , and risk-taking is part of the job description , ” he writes .
“ The risks we take , whether technical , political , or personal , all have potential consequences if we judge them incorrectly .
I took such a risk earlier in the year because I judged it necessary to fulfill our mission .
Now , over the balance of time , it is clear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for which I alone must bear the consequences.
” Ken Bowersox , who filled the position temporarily when Gerstenmaier was demoted , will take over the role once again now that Loverro is gone .
Bowersox is a former astronaut and currently the deputy associate administrator for human exploration .
As the associate administrator for human spaceflight , Loverro oversaw the agency ’ s Artemis program , the plan to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024 .
Loverro had also been in charge of reorganizing NASA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth orbit into a more commercial domain .
“ I want to be clear that the fact that I am taking this step has nothing to do with your performance as an organization nor with the plans we have placed in motion to fulfill our mission , ” Loverro wrote in a memo to staff .
“ If anything , your performance and those plans make everything we have worked for over the past six months more attainable and more certain than ever before .
My leaving is because of my personal actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” It ’ s a wild time for this kind of change , too , as Loverro has been effectively overseeing NASA ’ s Commercial Crew Program , which has been developing new private vehicles to take astronauts to and from the International Space Station .
SpaceX is set to fly its first two astronauts through the program on May 27th , a little more than a week away .
And the timing is not sitting well with some , including Rep. Kendra Horn ( D-OK ) who is the chair of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells The Verge that his departure has “ nothing ” to do with Commercial Crew NASA argues that the change will not affect the program or the mission , and Loverro tells The Verge that his departure has “ nothing ” to do with Commercial Crew .
However he said he could not go into detail about why he left , beyond what he wrote in his memo .
“ We have full confidence in the work [ program manager ] Kathy Lueders and her entire Commercial Crew team have done to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memo states .
“ This test flight will be a historic and momentous occasion that will see the return of human spaceflight to our country , and the incredible dedication by the men and women of NASA is what has made this mission possible.
” Update May 19th , 8:00PM ET : This article was updated to include information provided to The Verge from Loverro .
Update May 19th , 4:42PM ET : This article was updated to include information from a memo from Loverro .

The head of NASA’s human exploration program, Doug Loverro, has resigned less than six months after assuming the position within the agency, according to a NASA memo. The drastic change in leadership comes just a week before NASA will launch its first astronauts from the US in nearly a decade, on top of SpaceX’s new Crew Dragon spacecraft.
This is the second time during the Trump administration that this role has been in turmoil. In July 2019, NASA demoted the original person in this position, William Gerstenmaier, who had been serving as the associate administrator for human exploration at NASA for nearly 15 years. Loverro took over the position in December after a long search by NASA, but now his tenure has been cut short.
“Loverro hit the ground running this year and has made significant progress in his time at NASA.”
“Loverro hit the ground running this year and has made significant progress in his time at NASA,” a memo to NASA employees states. “His leadership of [human exploration] has moved us closer to accomplishing our goal of landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024. Loverro has dedicated more than four decades of his life in service to our country, and we thank him for his service and contributions to the agency.”
Loverro resigned on Monday, May 18th, however NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine did not mention the change to Vice President Mike Pence during the meeting of the National Space Council, which took place on Tuesday, May 19th. In a memo to staff, Loverro attributes his resignation to a risk he took earlier this year, but doesn’t explain what it was. “Our mission is certainly not easy, nor for the faint of heart, and risk-taking is part of the job description,” he writes. “The risks we take, whether technical, political, or personal, all have potential consequences if we judge them incorrectly. I took such a risk earlier in the year because I judged it necessary to fulfill our mission. Now, over the balance of time, it is clear that I made a mistake in that choice for which I alone must bear the consequences.”
Ken Bowersox, who filled the position temporarily when Gerstenmaier was demoted, will take over the role once again now that Loverro is gone. Bowersox is a former astronaut and currently the deputy associate administrator for human exploration.
As the associate administrator for human spaceflight, Loverro oversaw the agency’s Artemis program, the plan to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024. Loverro had also been in charge of reorganizing NASA’s plans to help turn low Earth orbit into a more commercial domain. “I want to be clear that the fact that I am taking this step has nothing to do with your performance as an organization nor with the plans we have placed in motion to fulfill our mission,” Loverro wrote in a memo to staff. “If anything, your performance and those plans make everything we have worked for over the past six months more attainable and more certain than ever before. My leaving is because of my personal actions, not anything we have accomplished together.”
It’s a wild time for this kind of change, too, as Loverro has been effectively overseeing NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which has been developing new private vehicles to take astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX is set to fly its first two astronauts through the program on May 27th, a little more than a week away. And the timing is not sitting well with some, including Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK) who is the chair of the House subcommittee that oversees NASA.
Loverro tells The Verge that his departure has “nothing” to do with Commercial Crew
NASA argues that the change will not affect the program or the mission, and Loverro tells The Verge that his departure has “nothing” to do with Commercial Crew. However he said he could not go into detail about why he left, beyond what he wrote in his memo.
“We have full confidence in the work [program manager] Kathy Lueders and her entire Commercial Crew team have done to bring us here,” NASA’s memo states. “This test flight will be a historic and momentous occasion that will see the return of human spaceflight to our country, and the incredible dedication by the men and women of NASA is what has made this mission possible.”
Update May 19th, 8:00PM ET: This article was updated to include information provided to The Verge from Loverro.


theverge--2020-05-19--YouTube’s Activision partnership finally leads to Call of Duty drops

The Call of Duty League ( CDL ) announced today that you ’ ll soon be able to earn in-game rewards , or “ drops , ” for watching CDL broadcasts , and the Overwatch League appears to be teasing that drops are on the way as well .
The announcement follows Activision Blizzard and YouTube ’ s multiyear deal announced in January that made the Google-owned video platform the exclusive streaming partner for Activision ’ s esports leagues .
To earn the rewards , you ’ ll have to watch live matches on the CDL website or the Call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your Activision account , according to a CDL blog post .
The rewards will include team emblems , sprays , and animated calling cards , and they ’ ll be cross-platform .
There aren ’ t any specific details just yet about what may be coming for Overwatch League , but here ’ s the tweet teasing that some kind of rewards are the way for its matches on Friday : Overwatch League offered drops when it was streaming exclusively on Twitch , so it wouldn ’ t be surprising to see similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is broadcast on YouTube .
And Call of Duty and Overwatch ( assuming Blizzard ’ s game is also getting drops ) won ’ t actually be the first titles to use YouTube ’ s drops feature — Epic Games offered free Fortnite cosmetics for watching the Fortnite World Cup on YouTube last July .
Beyond Activision , drops have been a massively successful tool to help fellow esports heavyweight Riot Games build hype for its upcoming tactical shooter Valorant , which is currently in beta .
Riot initially gave the beta to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been slowly giving out more keys via drops to viewers who tune into Valorant streams .
Fans trying to get coveted beta access to Valorant watched an eye-watering 334 million hours of the game in April .
It seems unlikely that Call of Duty League and Overwatch League will get such comparable numbers with their in-game rewards , as Riot was offering access to a much more in-demand unreleased game beta .
But the drops could encourage more fans to tune into live matches to get some in-game loot .

The Call of Duty League (CDL) announced on Tuesday that you’ll soon be able to earn in-game rewards, or “drops,” for watching CDL broadcasts, and the Overwatch League has detailed its plans for drops as well. The announcements follow Activision Blizzard and YouTube’s multiyear deal announced in January that made the Google-owned video platform the exclusive streaming partner for Activision’s esports leagues.
To earn the rewards for watching CDL, you’ll have to watch live matches on the CDL website or the Call of Duty Companion app while logged into your Activision account, according to a CDL blog post. The rewards will include team emblems, sprays, and animated calling cards, and they’ll be cross-platform.
Image: Call of Duty League
And after teasing drops for Overwatch League on Tuesday, Blizzard has now detailed how they’ll work. Starting on Friday, you’ll be able to earn League Tokens by watching Overwatch League matches on the league’s website, mobile site, and app while logged into your Battle.net account. Those tokens can be redeemed for in-game items on any platform, though if you’re a console player, you’ll have to link your Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, or Nintendo account with your Battle.net account to be able to use the tokens.
Overwatch League offered drops when it was streaming exclusively on Twitch, so it’s not surprising to see similar functionality offered again now that the league is broadcast on YouTube. And Call of Duty and Overwatch won’t actually be the first titles to use YouTube’s drops feature — Epic Games offered free Fortnite cosmetics for watching the Fortnite World Cup on YouTube last July.
Beyond Activision, drops have been a massively successful tool to help fellow esports heavyweight Riot Games build hype for its upcoming tactical shooter Valorant, which is currently in beta. Riot initially gave the beta to a select number of people and has been slowly giving out more keys via drops to viewers who tune into Valorant streams. Fans trying to get coveted beta access to Valorant watched an eye-watering 334 million hours of the game in April.
It seems unlikely that Call of Duty League and Overwatch League will get such comparable numbers with their in-game rewards, as Riot was offering access to a much more in-demand unreleased game beta. But the drops could encourage more fans to tune into live matches to get some in-game loot.


theverge--2020-05-19--Joe Rogan’s podcast is becoming a Spotify exclusive

Joe Rogan , comedian and host of one of the most popular podcasts in the world , is taking his show to Spotify .
The Joe Rogan Experience will soon become a Spotify exclusive , meaning episodes ’ full audio and video will only be available through the platform starting later this year .
Up until now , Rogan ’ s show has never been available on Spotify , let alone exclusive to any platform .
The show will become available on Spotify globally starting on September 1st , and it ’ ll become an exclusive sometime after that point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay to access the episodes , but they will have to become Spotify users .
Spotify said in a press release that Rogan retains creative control over his show .
It didn ’ t disclose how much it spent on the deal .
The company will also work with an ad agency to jointly sell ads against the program .
Rogan said last year his show reached about 190 million downloads a month .
Rogan ’ s YouTube channel will remain live , but it won ’ t contain full episodes .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which could benefit from YouTube ’ s search algorithm and push people to listen to full episodes on Spotify .
The show comes to Spotify on September 1st This is a massive get for Spotify , which has made podcasting a core focus .
It acquired Gimlet Media , Anchor , and Parcast last year , to start , and then signed more Spotify-exclusive deals .
It ’ s working with the Obamas ’ production company exclusively and committed to deals with other big names , like Joe Budden and Amy Schumer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deals seem to be the company ’ s main listener acquisition strategy , Spotify didn ’ t immediately move Gimlet shows to an exclusive model .
Instead , it produced ancillary , exclusive content like Gimlet Academy and extra Reply All episodes while keeping existing shows widely available .
In this case , the company will seemingly move relatively quickly to make Rogan a Spotify-only offering .
Spotify ’ s podcast ambitions always directly targeted Apple , which , up until now , has been the biggest name in podcast players .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has another new target : YouTube .
When it began testing its video podcasting feature earlier this month , it did so with the backing of two popular YouTubers .
Rogan is one of the most popular YouTube podcasters , often with millions of people watching each episode , so losing his voice on the platform is a major hit to YouTube and a big gain for Spotify .

Joe Rogan, comedian and host of one of the most popular podcasts in the world, is taking his show to Spotify. The Joe Rogan Experience will soon become a Spotify exclusive, meaning episodes’ full audio and video will only be available through the platform starting later this year. Up until now, Rogan’s show has never been available on Spotify, let alone exclusive to any platform.
The show will become available on Spotify globally starting on September 1st, and it’ll become an exclusive sometime after that point. Listeners won’t have to pay to access the episodes, but they will have to become Spotify users. Spotify said in a press release that Rogan retains creative control over his show. It didn’t disclose how much it spent on the deal. The company will also work with an ad agency to jointly sell ads against the program. Rogan said last year his show reached about 190 million downloads a month.
Rogan’s YouTube channel will remain live, but it won’t contain full episodes. There might be clips or other supplementary content which could benefit from YouTube’s search algorithm and push people to listen to full episodes on Spotify.
The show comes to Spotify on September 1st
This is a massive get for Spotify, which has made podcasting a core focus. It acquired Gimlet Media, Anchor, and Parcast last year, to start, and then signed more Spotify-exclusive deals. It’s working with the Obamas’ production company exclusively and committed to deals with other big names, like Joe Budden and Amy Schumer, and acquired The Ringer.
Related The podcasting world is now Spotify versus everybody else
Although exclusive deals seem to be the company’s main listener acquisition strategy, Spotify didn’t immediately move Gimlet shows to an exclusive model. Instead, it produced ancillary, exclusive content like Gimlet Academy and extra Reply All episodes while keeping existing shows widely available. In this case, the company will seemingly move relatively quickly to make Rogan a Spotify-only offering.


theverge--2020-05-19--Go read this Twitter thread classifying every animated Disney movie song

Animated Disney movies are known for their incredible music , but not until the heroic Twitter-threaded efforts of Justin McElroy ( a reporter for CBC Vancouver , not to be confused with Justin “ Hoops ” McElroy of the McElroy Family media empire ) has there been a unified classification of every song .
What follows is a compressive breakdown of all 18 categories , complete with taxonomy , defining characteristics , and even a periodic table of animated Disney songs .
As McElroy explains , while there are 18 possible types of songs , some elements are core to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ This Is The Movie ” song ( a category that includes “ Circle of Life , ” “ Beauty and the Beast , ” “ The Gospel Truth , ” and “ The Bells of Notre Dame ” ) and the “ I Want ” song ( “ Part of Your World , ” “ Go the Distance , ” “ Out There , ” “ Reflection ” ) appear in a whopping 26 movies each .
Another three categories — the “ I ’ m the Villain , ” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cheer Up , Kid ” songs — are also said to be core elements of great Disney movies , and they pop up frequently as well .
McElroy doesn ’ t just list the categories , though .
He gives common defining elements , like which character tends to sing each type of song , where it appears in the film , and he even offers a video montage of all the songs that fall into the grouping .
Following those essential five groups are five categories of secondary importance to the canon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” “ Here ’ s Our Deal , ” “ Here ’ s Their Deal , ” “ Things will be OK , ” and “ It ’ s Dancing Time.
” These tend to feature songs that are still extremely common in Disney films and are part of the more memorable scenes and memories people have of the film but are less key to the conceit than the core five songs .
Lastly , there ’ s the outliers : eight categories that pop up occasionally , like the “ Montage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harsh on ) , “ The Drug Song , ” and the “ We Won !
” song .
It ’ s in this bottom tier that McElroy also includes the “ Problematic ” group , which is exclusively filled with songs that have not aged well .
Rounding it all out is the Disney Songbook Table of Elements , which provides a simple , at-a-glance reference chart for quickly looking up a song .
( And you ’ ll probably want to do that after reading this post , given that any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in your head for the rest of the day now . )

Animated Disney movies are known for their incredible music, but not until the heroic Twitter-threaded efforts of Justin McElroy (a reporter for CBC Vancouver, not to be confused with Justin “Hoops” McElroy of the McElroy Family media empire) has there been a unified classification of every song. What follows is a compressive breakdown of all 18 categories, complete with taxonomy, defining characteristics, and even a periodic table of animated Disney songs.
As McElroy explains, while there are 18 possible types of songs, some elements are core to the entire canon. For example, the “This Is The Movie” song (a category that includes “Circle of Life,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Gospel Truth,” and “The Bells of Notre Dame”) and the “I Want” song (“Part of Your World,” “Go the Distance,” “Out There,” “Reflection”) appear in a whopping 26 movies each.
Another three categories — the “I’m the Villain,” “We Should Bone,” and “Cheer Up, Kid” songs — are also said to be core elements of great Disney movies, and they pop up frequently as well.
McElroy doesn’t just list the categories, though. He gives common defining elements, like which character tends to sing each type of song, where it appears in the film, and he even offers a video montage of all the songs that fall into the grouping.
Following those essential five groups are five categories of secondary importance to the canon: “Here’s My Deal,” “Here’s Our Deal,” “Here’s Their Deal,” “Things will be OK,” and “It’s Dancing Time.” These tend to feature songs that are still extremely common in Disney films and are part of the more memorable scenes and memories people have of the film but are less key to the conceit than the core five songs.
Lastly, there’s the outliers: eight categories that pop up occasionally, like the “Montage” group (which McElroy is oddly harsh on), “The Drug Song,” and the “We Won!” song. It’s in this bottom tier that McElroy also includes the “Problematic” group, which is exclusively filled with songs that have not aged well.


theverge--2020-05-19--Sony’s upcoming ZV-1 looks like an RX100 customized just for vlogging

Sony Alpha just tweeted out a teaser for a camera announcement coming on May 26th .
All Sony will say is that it ’ s a “ new compact camera ” along with a hazy outline of some sort of camera , likely with an articulating screen .
Luckily , we don ’ t need to guess what it is because Sony Alpha Rumors recently dropped the details .
It ’ s almost surely the Sony ZV-1 , and if Sony Alpha Rumors ’ leaked specs are correct , it looks like an ideal compact vlogging camera .
The publication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successor made for vloggers , ” and if that turns out to be the case , I ’ m fairly excited for it .
It will have an articulating screen so you can see yourself , what appears to be a hot shoe for attaching a mic or other accessories , and a big red button for recording videos instead of the itsy one on the RX100 .
There will also be Sony ’ s much-loved eye-based autofocus , which is clutch when you can ’ t directly control the camera ( because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The RX100 VII is a compact point-and-shoot that ’ s actually remarkably powerful , and the addition of a full microphone jack made it very compelling for vloggers .
I have used one ever since it came out .
But the RX100 VII has a few features that make it arguably a more versatile still camera but also make it less ideal for vloggers .
First , Sony swapped out the 28-70 zoom lens from earlier RX100 models for a 24-200 zoom .
More zoom sounds nice , but the widest aperture went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes it a challenge to get good background blur with such a small sensor and lens .
It ’ s the opposite of what most vloggers would want .
The earlier RX100 models also had an integrated neutral density filter , which made it easier to shoot outdoors without blowing out highlights .
The ZV-1 , if it is indeed basically an RX100 remade for vlogging , appears to undo both of those changes .
Sony Alpha Rumors says it has a “ 20MP 1-inch sensor ” and a “ 24-70mm F1.8 – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently a “ one-touch ” bokeh button .
Hopefully , that merely sets the optical settings for ideal bokeh shooting and doesn ’ t introduce some kind of software-based portrait mode .
Last but absolutely not least , it has a “ better grip.
” I ’ ve been attaching third-party grips to my RX100 cameras because they ’ re so small and slippery , so that ’ ll be helpful , too .
It all seems perfect , but with cameras ( and , really , all tech ) , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up too much just in case there are some unknown gotchas .
The RX100 VII seemed like it was the perfect vlogger ’ s rig right up until the moment its minor shortcomings became apparent .
Still , if you point a camera at your own face for YouTube on a regular basis , it ’ s hard not to be a little excited that Sony is working to make your life a little easier .

Sony Alpha just tweeted out a teaser for a camera announcement coming on May 26th. All Sony will say is that it’s a “new compact camera” along with a hazy outline of some sort of camera, likely with an articulating screen. Luckily, we don’t need to guess what it is because Sony Alpha Rumors recently dropped the details. It’s almost surely the Sony ZV-1, and if Sony Alpha Rumors’ leaked specs are correct, it looks like an ideal compact vlogging camera.
The publication called the camera “basically an RX100VII successor made for vloggers,” and if that turns out to be the case, I’m fairly excited for it. It will have an articulating screen so you can see yourself, what appears to be a hot shoe for attaching a mic or other accessories, and a big red button for recording videos instead of the itsy one on the RX100.
There will also be Sony’s much-loved eye-based autofocus, which is clutch when you can’t directly control the camera (because you’re shooting yourself).
The RX100 VII is a compact point-and-shoot that’s actually remarkably powerful, and the addition of a full microphone jack made it very compelling for vloggers. I have used one ever since it came out. But the RX100 VII has a few features that make it arguably a more versatile still camera but also make it less ideal for vloggers.
First, Sony swapped out the 28-70 zoom lens from earlier RX100 models for a 24-200 zoom. More zoom sounds nice, but the widest aperture went from f/1.8 to f/2.8 — and that makes it a challenge to get good background blur with such a small sensor and lens. It’s the opposite of what most vloggers would want. The earlier RX100 models also had an integrated neutral density filter, which made it easier to shoot outdoors without blowing out highlights.
The ZV-1, if it is indeed basically an RX100 remade for vlogging, appears to undo both of those changes. Sony Alpha Rumors says it has a “20MP 1-inch sensor” and a “24-70mm F1.8 – 2.8 lens.” There’s also apparently a “one-touch” bokeh button. Hopefully, that merely sets the optical settings for ideal bokeh shooting and doesn’t introduce some kind of software-based portrait mode.
Last but absolutely not least, it has a “better grip.” I’ve been attaching third-party grips to my RX100 cameras because they’re so small and slippery, so that’ll be helpful, too.
It all seems perfect, but with cameras (and, really, all tech), it’s safest not to get your hopes up too much just in case there are some unknown gotchas. The RX100 VII seemed like it was the perfect vlogger’s rig right up until the moment its minor shortcomings became apparent. Still, if you point a camera at your own face for YouTube on a regular basis, it’s hard not to be a little excited that Sony is working to make your life a little easier.


theverge--2020-05-20--Twitter won’t add ‘misleading’ label to bad science shared by Trump advisor

Twitter ’ s misinformation policy doesn ’ t cover a widely shared article claiming without evidence that the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine has a “ 90 percent chance of helping ” COVID-19 patients .
No treatment , including hydroxychloroquine , has been proven to effectively treat COVID-19 .
Initially posted on April 28th , the press release has been widely shared in the wake of President Trump ’ s recent announcement that he is regularly taking the drug .
Around 500 accounts have posted the article on Twitter in the past week and hundreds more have shared it on Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Crowdtangle statistics .
President Donald Trump ’ s campaign manager Brad Parscale shared it on Tuesday after Trump ’ s announcement .
So did the president of conservative group Judicial Watch , who has around 987,000 followers on Twitter .
The story was published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons , which presents itself as a non-partisan doctor ’ s association but has opposed mandatory measles vaccination and promoted fringe theories about HIV , smoking , and vaccines .
( In 2008 , the association also questioned whether President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covert form of hypnosis.
” ) By contrast , the much larger American Medical Association has supported clinical trials for hydroxychloroquine but warned that there ’ s no substantial evidence it works .
The Food and Drug Administration has also warned of potential side effects like heart risks , cautioning against its use outside hospitals and research .
The incident is an early test of Twitter ’ s expanding fight against misleading health information .
This month , Twitter started labeling tweets that made false or disputed claims about the novel coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incite harm .
A company spokesperson , however , said the tweet is “ currently not in violation of the Twitter Rules and does not qualify for labeling.
” Twitter says it ’ s prioritizing tweets that contain a potentially harmful call to action ; it ’ s singled out messages that encouraged people to damage 5G cell towers , for instance .
It says it won ’ t step in to label all tweets that contain unverified or disputed information about the coronavirus .
Twitter isn ’ t going to label all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t made a call on whether the story violates its anti-misinformation rules .
But a Facebook spokesperson told The Verge that the article would likely be eligible for fact-checking .
The platform typically flags content that ’ s rated entirely or partially false , warning users and reducing its reach .
The AAPS article has an eye-catching headline — “ hydroxychloroquine has about 90 percent chance of helping COVID-19 patients ” — but it doesn ’ t actually substantiate this claim .
Instead , it tallies roughly 2,300 people who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many outside a formal research project .
It then calculates that around 91 percent “ improved clinically.
” It doesn ’ t compare these numbers with a control group that didn ’ t take the drug , and most studies have found there ’ s little difference between those groups .
The article essentially argues that hydroxychloroquine didn ’ t clearly hurt 90 percent of people who took the drug — which is good , if true , but categorically different from “ helping.
” Presented in the context of a press release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is deeply misleading to a casual reader .
The AAPS release was also published before a major study that didn ’ t find the medicine effective at treating COVID-19 .
( The authors of that study stressed that we ’ re still waiting for large-scale controlled trials that could offer more data , and they ’ re not ruling out hydroxychloroquine treatment . )
A spokesperson for AAPS said the organization was updating its tables .
But it didn ’ t say whether it still stood by the 90 percent figure .

Twitter’s misinformation policy doesn’t cover a widely shared article claiming without evidence that the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine has a “90 percent chance of helping” COVID-19 patients. No treatment, including hydroxychloroquine, has been proven to effectively treat COVID-19.
Initially posted on April 28th, the press release has been widely shared in the wake of President Trump’s recent announcement that he is regularly taking the drug. Around 500 accounts have posted the article on Twitter in the past week and hundreds more have shared it on Facebook, including some high-profile conservative figures, according to Crowdtangle statistics. Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, shared it on Tuesday after Trump’s announcement. So did the president of conservative group Judicial Watch, who has around 987,000 followers on Twitter.
The story conflates “helping” with “not hurting”
The story was published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), which presents itself as a non-partisan doctor’s association but has opposed mandatory measles vaccination and promoted fringe theories about HIV, smoking, and vaccines. (In 2008, the association also questioned whether President Barack Obama’s speeches used “a covert form of hypnosis.”) By contrast, the much larger American Medical Association has supported clinical trials for hydroxychloroquine but warned that there’s no substantial evidence it works. The Food and Drug Administration has also warned of potential side effects like heart risks, cautioning against its use outside hospitals and research.
The incident is an early test of Twitter’s expanding fight against misleading health information. This month, Twitter started labeling tweets that made false or disputed claims about the novel coronavirus, in addition to removing misinformation that could incite harm. A company spokesperson, however, said the tweet is “currently not in violation of the Twitter Rules and does not qualify for labeling.” Twitter says it’s prioritizing tweets that contain a potentially harmful call to action; it’s singled out messages that encouraged people to damage 5G cell towers, for instance. It says it won’t step in to label all tweets that contain unverified or disputed information about the coronavirus.
Twitter isn’t going to label all misinformed tweets
So far, Facebook also hasn’t made a call on whether the story violates its anti-misinformation rules. But a Facebook spokesperson told The Verge that the article would likely be eligible for fact-checking. The platform typically flags content that’s rated entirely or partially false, warning users and reducing its reach.
The AAPS article has an eye-catching headline — “hydroxychloroquine has about 90 percent chance of helping COVID-19 patients” — but it doesn’t actually substantiate this claim. Instead, it tallies roughly 2,300 people who were treated with hydroxychloroquine by various doctors, many outside a formal research project. It then calculates that around 91 percent “improved clinically.” It doesn’t compare these numbers with a control group that didn’t take the drug, and most studies have found there’s little difference between those groups. The article essentially argues that hydroxychloroquine didn’t clearly hurt 90 percent of people who took the drug — which is good, if true, but categorically different from “helping.” Presented in the context of a press release about a scientific finding, the result is deeply misleading to a casual reader.


theverge--2020-05-20--The first remote-controlled electric scooters arrive at an office park in Georgia

A different kind of shared electric scooter has landed in a small suburb outside Atlanta , Georgia .
These scooters look bulkier than your average shared two-wheelers , with extra components attached to the deck and handlebars .
And they ’ re also not technically two-wheelers , but rather four-wheelers with an added set of training wheels in the middle of the deck .
That ’ s because they ’ re the first remote-controlled scooters to launch into commercial service in the US .
These are not self-driving scooters , although they will be partly powered with autonomous technology .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ team of remote employees who are located over 1,700 miles away in Mexico City .
These teleoperators watch a live feed from the scooter ’ s cameras , as well as monitor other sensor data , as they use Xbox controllers to move the scooter around a business park called Peachtree Corners to the north of Atlanta .
These remote-controlled scooters can then be moved around a city on demand , without the hassle of contracting the work to teams of amateur scooter hunters .
Slightly crazy ?
Sure .
But the trio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ X , the scooter operator ; Tortoise , the company outfitting the scooters with remote capabilities ; and Curiosity Labs , a “ smart city ” incubator located at Peachtree Corners — are convinced that this is the future of shared micromobility .
Starting this week , around 100 scooters will be available for rent at the business park .
Using the Go X app , customers can put in a request for a scooter , and within minutes , a remote-controlled scooter will arrive at the pickup spot , ready to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wheels to maintain balance during their trip , and a team of Go X operators are on hand in case a scooter runs into any obstacles , loses power , or gets knocked over en route .
According to Tortoise CEO Dmitry Shevelenko , customers will enjoy the convenience of having a scooter that can be brought right to them , while cities and municipalities will appreciate the lack of sidewalk clutter and other costs associated with dockless shared mobility .
“ You don ’ t have to just be lucky that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within walking distance of your house in the morning , ” Shevelenko told The Verge , “ you can actually request it to come to you and wait at home till it does.
” “ you can actually request it to come to you and wait at home till it does ” The problem Shevelenko is trying to solve is pretty obvious .
Right now , shared e-scooters are gathered up every night by teams of independent contractors for charging and rebalancing .
These freelance scooter hunters get paid based on how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has led to arguments , fights , and the occasional weapon being flashed .
Scooters get damaged , diminishing their life span .
Fraud and hoarding are rampant .
It ’ s a massive logistical challenge and can be dangerous for the freelancers involved .
Meanwhile , riders have a difficult time tracking down available scooters when they want one .
They all end up cluttered in a handful of places , rather than spread evenly around a city .
And cities have complained about the companies failing to place enough scooters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equal distribution across economic lines .
And now with the coronavirus pandemic , Shevelenko says there ’ s even more reason to outfit shared scooters with remote and semi-autonomous capabilities .
That way , the scooters can be directed to a team of cleaners for sanitizing between rides .
Go X is just one of several scooter operators working with Tortoise .
The startup has plans to announce some additional deployments of its technology later this year .
Those will likely include purpose-built three-wheeled scooters , such as Segway ’ s recently announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not going to be deploying any more retrofitted scooters , ” Shevelenko said .
Shared scooter services are notoriously money-losing operations .
But Shevelenko insists teleoperation — and eventually more autonomous systems — is the way to cure the scooter industry ’ s persistent unit economic problems , and that ’ s including the added costs of the components and the remote operators .
He cites an MIT study that found that scooter operators can get 10 times more utilization out of each scooter by dynamically rebalancing their fleet throughout the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There ’ s a lot of juice to be squeezed , ” he said .

A different kind of shared electric scooter has landed in a small suburb outside Atlanta, Georgia. These scooters look bulkier than your average shared two-wheelers, with extra components attached to the deck and handlebars. And they’re also not technically two-wheelers, but rather four-wheelers with an added set of training wheels in the middle of the deck. That’s because they’re the first remote-controlled scooters to launch into commercial service in the US.
These are not self-driving scooters, although they will be partly powered with autonomous technology. The scooters will be controlled by a team of remote employees who are located over 1,700 miles away in Mexico City. These teleoperators watch a live feed from the scooter’s cameras, as well as monitor other sensor data, as they use Xbox controllers to move the scooter around a business park called Peachtree Corners to the north of Atlanta. These remote-controlled scooters can then be moved around a city on demand, without the hassle of contracting the work to teams of amateur scooter hunters.
Slightly crazy? Sure. But the trio of companies backing the venture — Go X, the scooter operator; Tortoise, the company outfitting the scooters with remote capabilities; and Curiosity Labs, a “smart city” incubator located at Peachtree Corners — are convinced that this is the future of shared micromobility.
Starting this week, around 100 scooters will be available for rent at the business park. Using the Go X app, customers can put in a request for a scooter, and within minutes, a remote-controlled scooter will arrive at the pickup spot, ready to be ridden. The scooters use their training wheels to maintain balance during their trip, and a team of Go X operators are on hand in case a scooter runs into any obstacles, loses power, or gets knocked over en route.
According to Tortoise CEO Dmitry Shevelenko, customers will enjoy the convenience of having a scooter that can be brought right to them, while cities and municipalities will appreciate the lack of sidewalk clutter and other costs associated with dockless shared mobility.
“You don’t have to just be lucky that there will be a scooter that’s within walking distance of your house in the morning,” Shevelenko told The Verge, “you can actually request it to come to you and wait at home till it does.”
“you can actually request it to come to you and wait at home till it does”
The problem Shevelenko is trying to solve is pretty obvious. Right now, shared e-scooters are gathered up every night by teams of independent contractors for charging and rebalancing. These freelance scooter hunters get paid based on how many scooters they can collect each night, which has led to arguments, fights, and the occasional weapon being flashed. Scooters get damaged, diminishing their life span. Fraud and hoarding are rampant. It’s a massive logistical challenge and can be dangerous for the freelancers involved.
Meanwhile, riders have a difficult time tracking down available scooters when they want one. They all end up cluttered in a handful of places, rather than spread evenly around a city. And cities have complained about the companies failing to place enough scooters in low-income and minority communities to ensure equal distribution across economic lines.
And now with the coronavirus pandemic, Shevelenko says there’s even more reason to outfit shared scooters with remote and semi-autonomous capabilities. That way, the scooters can be directed to a team of cleaners for sanitizing between rides.
Go X is just one of several scooter operators working with Tortoise. The startup has plans to announce some additional deployments of its technology later this year. Those will likely include purpose-built three-wheeled scooters, such as Segway’s recently announced T60 “roboscooter.”
“We’re not going to be deploying any more retrofitted scooters,” Shevelenko said.
Shared scooter services are notoriously money-losing operations. But Shevelenko insists teleoperation — and eventually more autonomous systems — is the way to cure the scooter industry’s persistent unit economic problems, and that’s including the added costs of the components and the remote operators. He cites an MIT study that found that scooter operators can get 10 times more utilization out of each scooter by dynamically rebalancing their fleet throughout the day rather than just once in the morning.


theverge--2020-05-20--Meet the first NASA astronauts SpaceX will launch to orbit

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are about to star in the biggest spaceflight event of the decade : launching on the inaugural flight of SpaceX ’ s Crew Dragon spacecraft .
For years , they ’ ve anticipated this moment , picturing throngs of people lined up on Florida ’ s beaches to watch them ascend into the sky .
“ Everyone is like , ‘ When is it going to be ?
Am I going to get invited ?
’ ” Hurley told The Verge last year of the texts he received from eager friends and family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being able to have a lot more people come and enjoy and see a launch in Florida than they would be able to in Kazakhstan.
” Now , their launch will likely look very different , as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip the nation .
That electric atmosphere they expected will mostly be absent for this monumental flight as NASA has urged spectators to watch the launch from home — and it ’ s what the two astronauts want , too .
“ It certainly is a disappointing aspect of all this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have , you know , the luxury of our family and friends being there at Kennedy [ Space Center in Florida ] to watch the launch .
But it ’ s obviously the right thing to do in the current environment , ” Hurley said during a press conference this month .
“ It certainly is a disappointing aspect of all this pandemic is the fact that we won ’ t have , you know , the luxury of our family and friends being there.
” Even though the atmosphere will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both longtime colleagues and friends , are still set to make history together when they board the Crew Dragon on May 27th .
They ’ ll be the first passengers that SpaceX has ever launched into space , and they ’ ll also be the first people to launch to orbit from the United States since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011 .
All of NASA ’ s astronauts have had to fly on Russian rockets out of Kazakhstan for nearly the last decade .
But thanks to a partnership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start launching the agency ’ s astronauts from Florida once again with the Crew Dragon , beginning with Behnken and Hurley .
This afternoon , Behnken and Hurley will touch down on the coast of Cape Canaveral , Florida , a week before they board the Crew Dragon and blast off to the International Space Station .
The duo has been preparing for this moment since NASA assigned them to this mission in 2018 .
To train , they ’ ve been traveling back and forth from their home bases in Houston near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SpaceX ’ s headquarters in Hawthorne , California .
Both have flown on the Space Shuttle twice before , and together they have spent nearly 1,400 hours in space .
“ Training for a vehicle has its similarities , whether it ’ s an airplane , a car .
Obviously , it ’ s a little easier to drive a car than maybe a spaceship , ” Behnken told The Verge last year .
“ But I mean , you ’ re learning the systems , you ’ re learning how to interact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re also learning to deal with malfunctions if they occur .
You ’ re learning how to live with that vehicle in space.
” The difference is that , unlike the government-made Shuttle , this is a mostly private spacecraft .
And that ’ s meant adjusting to a new way of doing things .
For one , SpaceX ’ s Crew Dragon sports a much different style and aesthetic compared to the Space Shuttle .
In the place of a console filled with buttons , switches , and joysticks are glossy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Behnken and Hurley have been practicing how to interact with the Crew Dragon ’ s sleek interior while suited up in SpaceX ’ s custom space suits , with gloves that are capable of controlling the Crew Dragon ’ s touchscreens .
They ’ ve learned how to fly the Crew Dragon manually with just the screens , though the vehicle is designed to fly on its own with minimal input from its passengers .
It was a weird transition at first .
“ Growing up as a pilot , my whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control the vehicle , this is certainly different , ” Hurley said during a press conference .
“ But you know , we went into it with a very open mind , I think , and worked with them to kind of refine the way that you interface with it.
” He added : “ It was challenging , I think , for us and for them at first to kind of work through all those different design issues .
But we got to a point where the vehicle from a manual flying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” But the new style has its benefits .
Behnken and Hurley have given SpaceX their inputs on design and procedural changes that they think should be made , and SpaceX has obliged — quickly .
“ That ’ s really been appreciated , just how quickly they were able to turn around differences for what we ’ d like.
” “ The thing that I have seen that ’ s different is that when we did Shuttle things , we would say , ‘ Hey , I keep screwing up this procedure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no one screws it up ever again ?
’ Hurley told The Verge last year .
“ That would be really hard .
‘ We ’ ve got to talk to 100 people and figure all that out.
’ Here , when we need to change something , they can turn on a dime and get it [ done ] for the next mission or the next simulation that we go off and do .
That ’ s really been appreciated , just how quickly they were able to turn around differences for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from simulation to simulation.
” An invaluable part of their training is the fact that Behnken and Hurley have been good friends since they were first selected to be astronauts in 2000 .
In fact , they became so close that they were in each other ’ s weddings when they each married fellow astronauts from that same class .
They claim that their friendship provides a certain level of trust that only comes from years of knowing one another .
“ We ’ ve worked together so long that there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have to worry about , ” Behnken told The Verge last year , adding , “ It is important for us .
I already know what Doug ’ s responses are going to be in a lot of different situations .
I know if he ’ s ahead or behind on whatever we ’ re working on , in the same way that he knows that about me .
That makes it a lot easier .
Those aren ’ t extra words I need to put into the communication .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what my status is.
” “ We ’ ve worked together so long that there ’ s a part of the training that we don ’ t have to worry about.
” Though the two astronauts are certain of each other , the time leading up to this launch has been less than certain .
The target date for this flight has been in flux over the last couple of years , as SpaceX has experienced technical issues and delays that have pushed back the launch date .
The two astronauts have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public to figure out when they would fly .
“ Our job is to be ready when a launch date turns up , ” Behnken said during a press conference in January .
“ And so we ’ ll do our best to be sure that we are ready and [ we ’ ve done ] all we can for that date.
” Now , it ’ s also unclear when they ’ ll come home .
Originally , this trip was supposed to last just a week or two .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to demonstrate all of the crucial features of the Crew Dragon with passengers on board .
But because of delays getting to this point , NASA needs Behnken and Hurley to remain on the station for maybe a few months when they arrive .
In preparation for the Crew Dragon to start flying , NASA started to ease up on buying seats for its astronauts on Russia ’ s Soyuz rocket .
But when delays continued with the Crew Dragon program , NASA ’ s presence on the station began to dwindle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ astronaut living on the space station at the moment .
So NASA made the decision to extend this mission so that the agency can have a larger crew to maintain the ISS .
“ We want everybody to enjoy this and relish this moment in US space history.
” NASA will decide when Behnken and Hurley will return home once they ’ re already on board .
Since both of them are married to astronauts , they say their families are used to such uncertainty .
“ My wife ... she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what I ’ m going through , ” Hurley told The Verge this month .
“ She spent six months on [ the ] space station when our son was three years old .
So it certainly is not completely foreign to us .
And I think , you know , she ’ s somebody who understands that these things change.
” The astronauts also acknowledge how weird it is to launch during this time of uncertainty for everyone , but they know the flight has to move forward .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get here , and I don ’ t think either one of us would have predicted that when we were ready to go fly this mission that we would be dealing with this as well .
But we just want everybody to be safe , ” Hurley said during a press conference .
“ We want everybody to enjoy this and relish this moment in US space history , but the biggest thing is , we want everyone to just be safe and enjoy it from distance .
”

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are about to star in the biggest spaceflight event of the decade: launching on the inaugural flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. For years, they’ve anticipated this moment, picturing throngs of people lined up on Florida’s beaches to watch them ascend into the sky.
“Everyone is like, ‘When is it going to be? Am I going to get invited?’” Hurley told The Verge last year of the texts he received from eager friends and family. “It’s fun ... being able to have a lot more people come and enjoy and see a launch in Florida than they would be able to in Kazakhstan.”
Now, their launch will likely look very different, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip the nation. That electric atmosphere they expected will mostly be absent for this monumental flight as NASA has urged spectators to watch the launch from home — and it’s what the two astronauts want, too.
“It certainly is a disappointing aspect of all this pandemic is the fact that we won’t have, you know, the luxury of our family and friends being there at Kennedy [Space Center in Florida] to watch the launch. But it’s obviously the right thing to do in the current environment,” Hurley said during a press conference this month.
“It certainly is a disappointing aspect of all this pandemic is the fact that we won’t have, you know, the luxury of our family and friends being there.”
Even though the atmosphere will be different, Hurley and Behnken, both longtime colleagues and friends, are still set to make history together when they board the Crew Dragon on May 27th. They’ll be the first passengers that SpaceX has ever launched into space, and they’ll also be the first people to launch to orbit from the United States since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. All of NASA’s astronauts have had to fly on Russian rockets out of Kazakhstan for nearly the last decade. But thanks to a partnership with NASA, SpaceX is set to start launching the agency’s astronauts from Florida once again with the Crew Dragon, beginning with Behnken and Hurley.
This afternoon, Behnken and Hurley will touch down on the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, a week before they board the Crew Dragon and blast off to the International Space Station. The duo has been preparing for this moment since NASA assigned them to this mission in 2018. To train, they’ve been traveling back and forth from their home bases in Houston near NASA’s Johnson Space Center to SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Both have flown on the Space Shuttle twice before, and together they have spent nearly 1,400 hours in space.
“Training for a vehicle has its similarities, whether it’s an airplane, a car. Obviously, it’s a little easier to drive a car than maybe a spaceship,” Behnken told The Verge last year. “But I mean, you’re learning the systems, you’re learning how to interact with the vehicle, and then you’re also learning to deal with malfunctions if they occur. You’re learning how to live with that vehicle in space.”
The difference is that, unlike the government-made Shuttle, this is a mostly private spacecraft. And that’s meant adjusting to a new way of doing things.
For one, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon sports a much different style and aesthetic compared to the Space Shuttle. In the place of a console filled with buttons, switches, and joysticks are glossy touchscreens and minimal architecture. At Hawthorne, Behnken and Hurley have been practicing how to interact with the Crew Dragon’s sleek interior while suited up in SpaceX’s custom space suits, with gloves that are capable of controlling the Crew Dragon’s touchscreens. They’ve learned how to fly the Crew Dragon manually with just the screens, though the vehicle is designed to fly on its own with minimal input from its passengers.
It was a weird transition at first. “Growing up as a pilot, my whole career, having a certain way to control the vehicle, this is certainly different,” Hurley said during a press conference. “But you know, we went into it with a very open mind, I think, and worked with them to kind of refine the way that you interface with it.” He added: “It was challenging, I think, for us and for them at first to kind of work through all those different design issues. But we got to a point where the vehicle from a manual flying standpoint with the touchscreen applies very well.”
But the new style has its benefits. Behnken and Hurley have given SpaceX their inputs on design and procedural changes that they think should be made, and SpaceX has obliged — quickly.
“That’s really been appreciated, just how quickly they were able to turn around differences for what we’d like.”
“The thing that I have seen that’s different is that when we did Shuttle things, we would say, ‘Hey, I keep screwing up this procedure. Can we change the procedure so no one screws it up ever again?’ Hurley told The Verge last year. “That would be really hard. ‘We’ve got to talk to 100 people and figure all that out.’ Here, when we need to change something, they can turn on a dime and get it [done] for the next mission or the next simulation that we go off and do. That’s really been appreciated, just how quickly they were able to turn around differences for what we’d like to see from simulation to simulation.”
An invaluable part of their training is the fact that Behnken and Hurley have been good friends since they were first selected to be astronauts in 2000. In fact, they became so close that they were in each other’s weddings when they each married fellow astronauts from that same class. They claim that their friendship provides a certain level of trust that only comes from years of knowing one another.
“We’ve worked together so long that there’s a part of the training that we don’t have to worry about,” Behnken told The Verge last year, adding, “It is important for us. I already know what Doug’s responses are going to be in a lot of different situations. I know if he’s ahead or behind on whatever we’re working on, in the same way that he knows that about me. That makes it a lot easier. Those aren’t extra words I need to put into the communication. He can just glance at me and know what my status is.”
“We’ve worked together so long that there’s a part of the training that we don’t have to worry about.”
Though the two astronauts are certain of each other, the time leading up to this launch has been less than certain. The target date for this flight has been in flux over the last couple of years, as SpaceX has experienced technical issues and delays that have pushed back the launch date. The two astronauts have been waiting along with much of the public to figure out when they would fly. “Our job is to be ready when a launch date turns up,” Behnken said during a press conference in January. “And so we’ll do our best to be sure that we are ready and [we’ve done] all we can for that date.”
The Verge’s profile of Behnken and Hurley during training in early 2019.
Now, it’s also unclear when they’ll come home. Originally, this trip was supposed to last just a week or two. It’s a test, after all, meant to demonstrate all of the crucial features of the Crew Dragon with passengers on board. But because of delays getting to this point, NASA needs Behnken and Hurley to remain on the station for maybe a few months when they arrive. In preparation for the Crew Dragon to start flying, NASA started to ease up on buying seats for its astronauts on Russia’s Soyuz rocket. But when delays continued with the Crew Dragon program, NASA’s presence on the station began to dwindle, and there is just one NASA astronaut living on the space station at the moment. So NASA made the decision to extend this mission so that the agency can have a larger crew to maintain the ISS.
“We want everybody to enjoy this and relish this moment in US space history.”
NASA will decide when Behnken and Hurley will return home once they’re already on board. Since both of them are married to astronauts, they say their families are used to such uncertainty. “My wife ... she’s also an astronaut and understands a lot of what I’m going through,” Hurley told The Verge this month. “She spent six months on [the] space station when our son was three years old. So it certainly is not completely foreign to us. And I think, you know, she’s somebody who understands that these things change.”
The astronauts also acknowledge how weird it is to launch during this time of uncertainty for everyone, but they know the flight has to move forward.


theverge--2020-05-20--The biggest announcements from Microsoft Build 2020

Microsoft ’ s annual developer conference has officially kicked off , the first yearly developer conference in the consumer tech world we ’ ve experienced online .
The others are Google I/O and Apple ’ s WWDC .
All three have obviously changed during the pandemic and watching what each company has chosen ( or will choose ) to do has been instructive .
Google straight up cancelled I/O entirely — perhaps playing it safer , as in the COVID timeline in the Bay Area Google had to make a call when things were looking particularly dire .
There will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Android , at least .
Apple ’ s is still “ on ” as an online-only event , and though you never know with Apple I suspect it will try to make a splash with new versions of iOS , iPadOS , and it might even remember to do something with macOS .
Faced with the same circumstances , Microsoft chose to do something remarkable with its developer conference : it put on a developer keynote .
Normally these keynotes try to strike a balance between appealing to consumers with new product news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will make their lives easier .
Microsoft , which usually puts on the most technical conference , just went all in with developer-focused content .
The company ’ s presentation also savvily moved from house to house , treating its demonstrations more like a live meeting you were dialed into at work than a show you were just an audience member for .
It was less like a keynote and more like “ hangin ’ with the Micro ... squad !
” Do Microsoft ’ s presenters actually call themselves that ?
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you told me they did based on the quality and quantity of adorably cringey dad-humor on display on Build ’ s video feed ?
Hell yes , and of course I loved it .
But Microsoft did make impactful news yesterday .
I ’ m excited for some of the new stuff coming to the Microsoft Edge browser , mainly the new 3D view in the web inspector .
As for the Pinterest integration , well , I like Pinterest , but I have doubts about the sidebar .
Many have tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a thing .
As a former office temp put in charge of maintaining all sorts of random company information in an organized way , I am super glad to see this new Microsoft Lists app designed for Teams , SharePoint , and Outlook .
It looks like it could be useful for all sorts of tasks that sit in between a spreadsheet and full-on database software .
The overarching thing that that struck me yesterday is that Microsoft has really started to figure out how to differentiate its strategy for building its platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Platforms are things like Windows , Azure , and increasingly Office or the Edge browser .
Products are things like the Surface line , Xboxes , and Office apps .
Mixing up your strategy for making platforms and products leads you down the old Steve Ballmer path of just trying to make Windows the essential thing that matters when really Windows is just a path itself .
That sounds like a koan .
Let me try again : unless you ’ re a total weirdo ( and I ’ m nearly there so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t get Windows for Windows .
You get it for the things it enables you to do .
That ’ s a platform .
And this year at Build , Microsoft has made it abundantly clear it ’ s in the business of building platforms .
┏ Microsoft to unify Windows desktop and UWP apps with new Project Reunion .
It ’ s trying once again to lead developers out of the Windows app framework thicket with Project Reunion , which at a high level abstracts all the Win32 vs modern vs web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll see how that one goes , but you got ta salute the effort .
┏ Microsoft ’ s new PowerToys Run launcher for Windows 10 is now available to download .
It ’ s building smart and useful new tools for Windows in PowerToys .
Seriously the utilities in here are things I do on my machines all the time via third party tools .
┏ Microsoft is bringing Linux GUI apps to Windows 10 .
It ’ s making Linux even better on Windows by make it possible to run Linux @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The company that once crusaded against open source has fully embraced it .
┏ Microsoft ’ s new Fluid Office document is Google Docs on steroids .
This is easily the biggest news of the show and Tom has the exclusive deep dive look at what it is and what it means .
What it is : an attempt to modularize everything you might put in an Office doc and make it available anywhere , in any app .
It ’ s based on web technology and syncs in real time .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that other companies adopt its little snippets of spreadsheets and lists and docs and whatever else .
What it means : Tom ’ s got thoughts , read them .
All I ’ ll add here is that Microsoft is trying to do a thing that many ( including , ahem Bill Gates ) have tried before in one way or another .
When you ’ re about halfway through Tom ’ s feature , take a breather by watching this absolutely incredibly great and dated video from Apple on its OpenDoc standard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1995 .
Not the same thing exactly , but not entirely different .
One way of looking at Fluid is that Microsoft is trying to kill the file — or at least decouple them from apps .
Instead of there being a Word file or an Excel file , there ’ s just the text or the spreadsheet , accessible in whatever app you want .
It ’ s a very nice dream , but it ’ s also one that ’ s dream-like in its logic , at least compared to how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ files and text and spreadsheets .
If you want to wrap your head around it , take a tour of the buzzy Notion app , which just made its note-taking function free .
It ’ s like a little mini version of the grand vision Microsoft is touting with Fluid .
And until you sort of let your mind laterally drift into its way of organizing things , it feels very strange and vexing to use .
I bring all this up not to say that I think Fluid will definitely fail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And also that it ’ s abstract in just the right way : that ’ s what platforms are , computing abstractions .
The desktop , the home screen , app icons , task bars , and windows themselves are just a set of metaphors you use to think about how you do stuff on your computer , metaphors made real and useful through code and design .
At a basic level , that ’ s what Fluid is too .
Verge Reviews and first looks ┏ Lenovo Chromebook Duet review : this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon ’ s Crucible makes the best parts of League of Legends more accessible More from The Verge ┏ Joe Rogan ’ s podcast is becoming a Spotify exclusive .
This is massive , massive news .
It ’ s a huge hit on Apple , yes , but also potentially bad news for the world of podcasting .
Openness for the have-nots , deals and exclusivity for the haves .
┏ Chrome is getting a ton of big safety and security updates soon .
The next version of Chrome will be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ┏ OnePlus will temporarily disable ‘ X-ray ’ camera filter that sees through plastic and clothes ┏ TikTok has a new CEO — now he has to deal with music labels , competing apps , and angry senators .
Julia Alexander : ┏ Walmart is shutting down Jet after spending $ 3 billion on it in 2016 .
Shot .
┏ Facebook launches Shops to bring more businesses online during the pandemic .
Chaser .
┏ Sony ’ s upcoming ZV-1 looks like an RX100 customized just for vlogging

Microsoft’s annual developer conference has officially kicked off, the first yearly developer conference in the consumer tech world we’ve experienced online. The others are Google I/O and Apple’s WWDC. All three have obviously changed during the pandemic and watching what each company has chosen (or will choose) to do has been instructive.
Google straight up cancelled I/O entirely — perhaps playing it safer, as in the COVID timeline in the Bay Area Google had to make a call when things were looking particularly dire. There will be some sort of online unveiling for Android, at least. Apple’s is still “on” as an online-only event, and though you never know with Apple I suspect it will try to make a splash with new versions of iOS, iPadOS, and it might even remember to do something with macOS.
Faced with the same circumstances, Microsoft chose to do something remarkable with its developer conference: it put on a developer keynote.
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Normally these keynotes try to strike a balance between appealing to consumers with new product news and to developers with new tools that will make their lives easier. Microsoft, which usually puts on the most technical conference, just went all in with developer-focused content.
The company’s presentation also savvily moved from house to house, treating its demonstrations more like a live meeting you were dialed into at work than a show you were just an audience member for.
It was less like a keynote and more like “hangin’ with the Micro...squad!” Do Microsoft’s presenters actually call themselves that? Of course not. Would I believe you if you told me they did based on the quality and quantity of adorably cringey dad-humor on display on Build’s video feed? Hell yes, and of course I loved it.
But Microsoft did make impactful news yesterday. I’m excited for some of the new stuff coming to the Microsoft Edge browser, mainly the new 3D view in the web inspector. As for the Pinterest integration, well, I like Pinterest, but I have doubts about the sidebar. Many have tried to make functional and persistent browser sidebars a thing.
As a former office temp put in charge of maintaining all sorts of random company information in an organized way, I am super glad to see this new Microsoft Lists app designed for Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook. It looks like it could be useful for all sorts of tasks that sit in between a spreadsheet and full-on database software.
The overarching thing that that struck me yesterday is that Microsoft has really started to figure out how to differentiate its strategy for building its platforms from its strategy for building products. Platforms are things like Windows, Azure, and increasingly Office or the Edge browser. Products are things like the Surface line, Xboxes, and Office apps.
Mixing up your strategy for making platforms and products leads you down the old Steve Ballmer path of just trying to make Windows the essential thing that matters when really Windows is just a path itself.
That sounds like a koan. Let me try again: unless you’re a total weirdo (and I’m nearly there so no judgement), you don’t get Windows for Windows. You get it for the things it enables you to do. That’s a platform. And this year at Build, Microsoft has made it abundantly clear it’s in the business of building platforms.
┏ Microsoft to unify Windows desktop and UWP apps with new Project Reunion. It’s trying once again to lead developers out of the Windows app framework thicket with Project Reunion, which at a high level abstracts all the Win32 vs modern vs web problems away for developers. We’ll see how that one goes, but you gotta salute the effort.
┏ Microsoft’s new PowerToys Run launcher for Windows 10 is now available to download. It’s building smart and useful new tools for Windows in PowerToys. Seriously the utilities in here are things I do on my machines all the time via third party tools.
┏ Microsoft is bringing Linux GUI apps to Windows 10. It’s making Linux even better on Windows by make it possible to run Linux GUI apps without needing annoying workarounds. The company that once crusaded against open source has fully embraced it.
┏ Microsoft’s new Fluid Office document is Google Docs on steroids. This is easily the biggest news of the show and Tom has the exclusive deep dive look at what it is and what it means.
What it is: an attempt to modularize everything you might put in an Office doc and make it available anywhere, in any app. It’s based on web technology and syncs in real time. And Microsoft is open-sourcing it in the hopes that other companies adopt its little snippets of spreadsheets and lists and docs and whatever else.
What it means: Tom’s got thoughts, read them. All I’ll add here is that Microsoft is trying to do a thing that many (including, ahem Bill Gates) have tried before in one way or another. When you’re about halfway through Tom’s feature, take a breather by watching this absolutely incredibly great and dated video from Apple on its OpenDoc standard, released on a CD ROM in 1995.
Not the same thing exactly, but not entirely different. One way of looking at Fluid is that Microsoft is trying to kill the file — or at least decouple them from apps. Instead of there being a Word file or an Excel file, there’s just the text or the spreadsheet, accessible in whatever app you want.
It’s a very nice dream, but it’s also one that’s dream-like in its logic, at least compared to how we’re used to thinking about files and text and spreadsheets. If you want to wrap your head around it, take a tour of the buzzy Notion app, which just made its note-taking function free. It’s like a little mini version of the grand vision Microsoft is touting with Fluid. And until you sort of let your mind laterally drift into its way of organizing things, it feels very strange and vexing to use.
I bring all this up not to say that I think Fluid will definitely fail, but that it’s hard. And also that it’s abstract in just the right way: that’s what platforms are, computing abstractions. The desktop, the home screen, app icons, task bars, and windows themselves are just a set of metaphors you use to think about how you do stuff on your computer, metaphors made real and useful through code and design. At a basic level, that’s what Fluid is too.
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.
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theverge--2020-05-20--Register for early access to transfer songs to YouTube Music

Google is letting users register their interest to start transferring their music from Google Play Music to YouTube Music early , 9to5Google reports .
The form was initially provided as part of a Google support thread , and comes with a disclaimer that it doesn ’ t guarantee early access to the transfer tool .
The form asks you to provide the email address associated with your Google Play Music account and country of residence .
Google announced the migration process from Google Play Music to YouTube Music last week alongside the news that Play Music is due to shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transfer tool is being rolled out gradually : many users visiting YouTube Music ’ s transfer page are greeted with a message saying the feature isn ’ t available yet .
Registering your interest could speed up the process .
The support page notes that once the tool is available to you , you ’ ll receive an email as well as a notification in your Play Music or YouTube Music app .
When that happens , you can follow our guide on how to transfer your music library from Google Play @ @ @ @ @

Google is letting users register their interest to start transferring their music from Google Play Music to YouTube Music early, 9to5Google reports. The form was initially provided as part of a Google support thread, and comes with a disclaimer that it doesn’t guarantee early access to the transfer tool. The form asks you to provide the email address associated with your Google Play Music account and country of residence.
Google announced the migration process from Google Play Music to YouTube Music last week alongside the news that Play Music is due to shut down later this year. However, the transfer tool is being rolled out gradually: many users visiting YouTube Music’s transfer page are greeted with a message saying the feature isn’t available yet. Registering your interest could speed up the process.
Many users visiting Google’s transfer page are greeted by a message saying it’s not yet available. Screenshot by Jon Porter / The Verge