theverge--2020-04-28--Uber’s CTO steps down as company reportedly mulls 20 percent layoffs

Thuan Pham , Uber ’ s chief technology officer , is stepping down , the ride-hailing company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday .
Pham was the longest serving top executive at the company , having joined Uber in 2013 .
The news of his departure was first reported by The Information , which also is reporting that executives at Uber are actively discussing a cost-cutting plan that could involve layoffs of up to 20 percent of the company ’ s employees .
The layoffs haven ’ t been finalized , but could be announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Information added .
If the company goes through with the plan , an estimated 5,400 employees could lose their jobs .
An Uber spokesperson declined to comment on the prospect of layoffs .
“ As you would expect , the company is looking at every possible scenario to ensure we get to the other side of this crisis in a stronger position than ever , ” the spokesperson said .
“ the company is looking at every possible scenario ” Uber ’ s ride-hailing business has dried up as a result of widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
In a call with investors in March , Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said its gross bookings in most major cities was down by as much as 70 percent .
The Information recently reported that the company ’ s overall business was down 80 percent year over year .
Recent gains in its food delivery Uber Eats division have failed to make up for big losses in its core ride-hailing product .
In the March call , Khosrowshahi said the company modeled “ an extreme edge case ” in which trip volume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dire circumstance , Uber would still end the year with $ 4 billion in unrestricted cash , plus $ 2 billion in revolving credit .
But this isn ’ t the first time that mass layoffs have been on the table for the money-losing business .
Uber laid off nearly 1,000 employees from its engineering , product , and marketing departments last year in an effort to shore up spending and address some of the company ’ s massive deficits .
Uber shares have fallen more than 50 percent in the past month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus on bookings and a broader market decline .
It ’ s especially bad timing for a business like Uber that had been aiming to achieve profitability in the fourth quarter of this year .
Pham ’ s resignation is certainly the end of an era for Uber .
The CTO was the last holdover from the days when former CEO Travis Kalanick was in charge .
Most of Uber ’ s top leadership was forced to stepped down amid the many scandals that engulfed the company , including Kalanick .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I feel comfortable hanging up my hat at a time when the Uber Engineering team is at peak productivity , we have built robust system scale and stability , and are well prepared to face the future , ” Pham said in a statement .
“ This has been a labor of love for me , and I am so proud of what we have done as a team .
”

Thuan Pham, Uber’s chief technology officer, is stepping down, the ride-hailing company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday. Pham was the longest serving top executive at the company, having joined Uber in 2013.
The news of his departure was first reported by The Information, which also is reporting that executives at Uber are actively discussing a cost-cutting plan that could involve layoffs of up to 20 percent of the company’s employees. The layoffs haven’t been finalized, but could be announced in stages over several weeks, The Information added. If the company goes through with the plan, an estimated 5,400 employees could lose their jobs.
An Uber spokesperson declined to comment on the prospect of layoffs. “As you would expect, the company is looking at every possible scenario to ensure we get to the other side of this crisis in a stronger position than ever,” the spokesperson said.
“the company is looking at every possible scenario”
Uber’s ride-hailing business has dried up as a result of widespread shutdown orders due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. In a call with investors in March, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said its gross bookings in most major cities was down by as much as 70 percent. The Information recently reported that the company’s overall business was down 80 percent year over year. Recent gains in its food delivery Uber Eats division have failed to make up for big losses in its core ride-hailing product.
In the March call, Khosrowshahi said the company modeled “an extreme edge case” in which trip volume plummeted 80 percent. Even in that dire circumstance, Uber would still end the year with $4 billion in unrestricted cash, plus $2 billion in revolving credit.
But this isn’t the first time that mass layoffs have been on the table for the money-losing business. Uber laid off nearly 1,000 employees from its engineering, product, and marketing departments last year in an effort to shore up spending and address some of the company’s massive deficits.
Uber shares have fallen more than 50 percent in the past month due to investor concerns about the impact of the virus on bookings and a broader market decline. It’s especially bad timing for a business like Uber that had been aiming to achieve profitability in the fourth quarter of this year.
Pham’s resignation is certainly the end of an era for Uber. The CTO was the last holdover from the days when former CEO Travis Kalanick was in charge. Most of Uber’s top leadership was forced to stepped down amid the many scandals that engulfed the company, including Kalanick.


theverge--2020-04-28--Next year’s Oscars will allow streaming-only movies to qualify, but with heavy restrictions

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science will allow some movies released on streaming platforms and via digital release to qualify for the 2021 Oscars because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
This doesn ’ t mean that every movie on every streaming service is suddenly going to be eligible to be nominated for Best Picture , though .
The board of governors have decided that a movie which winds up on a streaming service must have a previously planned theatrical release .
This is closer to the usual qualifications movies must meet to be eligible , a list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days theatrically in a commercial theater in Los Angeles County .
But the change does mean that a movie like Trolls World Tour — which was supposed to be released into theaters but became a digital exclusive — could still qualify for Best Animated Picture , despite its nontraditional release .
“ The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theater , ” Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a press release .
“ Our commitment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nonetheless , the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules.
” This is a temporary solution for the Academy .
Once theaters reopen , studios that want their films to be eligible will once again have to release them into theaters for at least seven days .
That said , the Academy is expanding its number of qualifying theaters beyond Los Angeles to include New York City , San Francisco , Chicago , Miami , and Atlanta .
The press release also notes that because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused by COVID-19 , ” all rules and matters of eligibility are subject to change .
Prior to this year , the Academy found itself in a battle with new entrants like Netflix over eligibility .
The streamer started releasing some of its biggest award contenders — including The Irishman , Roma , Marriage Story , and The Two Popes — in theaters for a period of time , running up to 21 days total in order to qualify .
The new rules don ’ t suddenly allow Netflix or other streamers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it does allow studios to release their films on streaming ( including HBO Max and Peacock ) as they figure out ways to salvage their 2020 slate of films without sacrificing a shot at an Oscar .
Certain movies like Paramount Pictures ’ The Lovebirds with Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani have already been sold to Netflix as the streamer looks for more content to keep subscribers happy .

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science will allow some movies released on streaming platforms and via digital release to qualify for the 2021 Oscars because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This doesn’t mean that every movie on every streaming service is suddenly going to be eligible to be nominated for Best Picture, though. The board of governors have decided that a movie which winds up on a streaming service must have a previously planned theatrical release. This is closer to the usual qualifications movies must meet to be eligible, a list of requirements that typically include running for seven days theatrically in a commercial theater in Los Angeles County.
But the change does mean that a movie like Trolls World Tour — which was supposed to be released into theaters but became a digital exclusive — could still qualify for Best Animated Picture, despite its nontraditional release.
“The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theater,” Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a press release. “Our commitment to that is unchanged and unwavering. Nonetheless, the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules.”
This is a temporary solution for the Academy. Once theaters reopen, studios that want their films to be eligible will once again have to release them into theaters for at least seven days. That said, the Academy is expanding its number of qualifying theaters beyond Los Angeles to include New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and Atlanta. The press release also notes that because of the “shifting landscape surrounding the global pandemic caused by COVID-19,” all rules and matters of eligibility are subject to change.


theverge--2020-04-28--AMD’s quarterly profits sink, and it expects weakened demand throughout 2020

AMD posted its Q1 2020 financial results , and quarter-to-quarter revenue is down by 16 percent .
Its quarterly operating income also took a dive , as revenue slowed and R & D costs went up .
On the bright side , it shared that its $ 1.79 billion year-to-year revenue is up 40 percent compared to this time in 2020 .
It attributes this big jump to its computing and graphics segments , including its Ryzen processors and Radeon graphics cards — both of which have gotten major updates recently .
The company didn ’ t initially come right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the culprit to its less-than-favorable financial results , but it did during the investor call .
AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su cited that reduced supply chains and a downturn of retail in China during the first quarter contributed to lower numbers .
To that end , AMD says it expects weak consumer demand in the second half of 2020 , though it still expects its yearly revenue to grow by 25 percent .
Even as it works to find balance in 2020 , AMD has a promising outlook for the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its showcase of products .
It beat Intel to the punch by being the first to make 7nm processors , which include its Ryzen U and H 4000-series processors based on Zen 2 architecture .
Its Radeon RX 5000-series graphics cards currently undercut Nvidia ’ s RTX 20-series graphics cards in cost , with negligible differences in terms of performance in some cases .
And , with their PCIe 4.0 support , they ’ re a little more future-proof on a technical level than Nvidia ’ s current GPU lineup .
AMD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good support from Apple , both in its laptops and desktops , including the new high-end Mac Pro .
Dr. Lisa Su says that its next-generation processors and graphics cards are still on-track for later in 2020 .
Additionally , the company has been working alongside Microsoft and Sony in developing both the processors and graphics chips for their forthcoming next-generation video game consoles , the Xbox Series X and PS5 , both of which are still set to release during the 2020 holiday season .
Those will likely be huge sellers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large as expected since Sony recently shared it will limit its initial shipment of PS5 consoles .

AMD expects weakened consumer demand in the second half of 2020 as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. During an investor call discussing the company’s quarterly earnings, AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su said that reduced supply chains and a downturn of retail in China were already issues during the first quarter. Despite that, AMD still expects its annual revenue to grow by 25 percent.
It’s already on its way to having a good year, as its Q1 2020 financial results show 40 percent revenue growth compared to this time in 2019. It attributes this big jump to its computing and graphics segments, including its Ryzen processors and Radeon graphics cards — both of which have gotten major updates recently.
AMD has a promising outlook for the rest of 2020, at least when it comes to its showcase of products. It beat Intel to the punch by being the first to make 7nm processors, which include its Ryzen U and H 4000-series processors based on Zen 2 architecture. Its Radeon RX 5000-series graphics cards currently undercut Nvidia’s RTX 20-series graphics cards in cost, with negligible differences in terms of performance in some cases. And, with their PCIe 4.0 support, they’re a little more future-proof on a technical level than Nvidia’s current GPU lineup. AMD’s GPUs also continue to get good support from Apple, both in its laptops and desktops, including the new high-end Mac Pro. Dr. Lisa Su says that its next-generation processors and graphics cards are still on-track for later in 2020.
Additionally, AMD has been working alongside Microsoft and Sony in developing both the processors and graphics chips for their forthcoming next-generation video game consoles, the Xbox Series X and PS5, both of which are still set to release during the 2020 holiday season. Those will likely be huge sellers, though the numbers may not be as large as expected since Sony recently shared it will limit its initial shipment of PS5 consoles.


theverge--2020-04-28--Epic Games is requiring customers to enable two-factor authentication to redeem free games

Epic Games will occasionally require users to enable two-factor authentication before redeeming free games on its digital storefront between now @ @ @ @ @ goal is to encourage “ players to take steps to strengthen their Epic account security @ @ @ @ @ in a blog post .
To enable two-factor authentication , users have to log into @ @ @ @ @ head into their account settings .
Two-factor authentication typically requires users to confirm their identities @ @ @ @ @ using a PIN sent to their email address or phone number .
Having two-factor authentication @ @ @ @ @ measure to prevent your account from being compromised if your password is stolen .
In @ @ @ @ @ flaw in Fortnite allowed hackers to access the Epic Games accounts of users who clicked @ @ @ @ @ few days ago , Nintendo acknowledged that 160,000 Nintendo accounts were impacted in hacking attempts @ @ @ @ @ month .

Epic Games will occasionally require users to enable two-factor authentication before redeeming free games on its digital storefront between now and May 21st.
The goal is to encourage “players to take steps to strengthen their Epic account security,” the company wrote in a blog post. To enable two-factor authentication, users have to log into the Epic Games Store and head into their account settings.
Two-factor authentication typically requires users to confirm their identities while logging into an account using a PIN sent to their email address or phone number. Having two-factor authentication activated provides an extra security measure to prevent your account from being compromised if your password is stolen.


theverge--2020-04-28--Alphabet weathers first quarter after the novel coronavirus, but the worst is yet to come

Google parent company Alphabet managed to weather the storm caused by COVID-19 in its first quarterly earnings that take into account the society-altering shifts of the global pandemic .
But this past quarter included barely two months of time since many countries instituted shelter-in-place orders that have all but eliminated global travel and other industries that spend big on web advertising .
That means the worst is yet to come for Alphabet ’ s business , and CEO Sundar Pichai and finance chief Ruth Porat appear to be trying to prepare the company accordingly .
“ But then in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenues.
” “ Performance was strong during the first two months of the quarter , but then in March we experienced a significant slowdown in ad revenues .
We are sharpening our focus on executing more efficiently , while continuing to invest in our long-term opportunities , ” Porat said in a statement on Tuesday .
Later on its earnings call , Porat revealed that for the first two months of the quarter , Google revenues were on pact to beat expectations but fell sharply by March , when the pandemic started accelerating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google products has risen , but interest has shifted away from commercial topics , like travel and new products , and toward COVID-related content .
In the first fiscal quarter of 2020 , Alphabet earned $ 6.8 billion in profit on sales of $ 41.2 billion .
While revenue is up 13 percent , net income increased only 1.5 percent .
That indicates that a combination of Alphabet ’ s high spending and costs — including a sizable jump in its traffic acquisition costs — and the downturn in the global web advertising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Analysts expect this to continue , and for the damage to Google ’ s ad business to intensify , over the next three months .
“ We anticipate that the second quarter will be a difficult one for our advertising business , ” Porat confirmed on the earnings call .
Google Cloud and YouTube revenues , which Alphabet began disclosing for the first time back in February after the US Securities and Exchange Commission demanded more transparency , were both bright spots for the company .
YouTube revenue jumped 33 percent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Google ’ s cloud computing division saw a jump of more than 55 percent to $ 2.8 billion .
A growing part of Google Cloud is G Suite , the productivity suite Google sells to businesses that competes with Microsoft ’ s Office 365 .
It includes Google Meet , a newly rebranded Zoom competitor that Pichai told listeners on an earnings call Tuesday afternoon was growing at a pace of 3 million new users a day , up from 2 million a day late last month .
Under Google ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes YouTube subscription revenues for its music and pay-TV services and Pixel and other hardware sales , the company saw a 22 percent jump to $ 4.4 billion .
Alphabet faces some significant challenges ahead .
The company continued hiring this past quarter , adding nearly 5,000 new employees .
It also saw traffic acquisition costs , referred to as TAC and composed in part of the money Google pays to partners to make its search engine the default option in competing mobile and web browsers , rise more than 15 percent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing by 3 million new users a day In addition to that , Alphabet ’ s Other Bets category — which includes its experimental X lab , Waymo self-driving subsidiary , and a number of other peripheral divisions like its Verily life sciences unit — continues to hemorrhage cash , costing the company $ 1.1 billion this past quarter .
Stock-based compensation , which Google uses to partially pay many of its engineers and other high-earning employees ’ salaries , rose 14 percent to $ 3.2 billion .
But Alphabet is already adjusting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company has already publicly announced a slowdown on hiring for 2020 , and CNBC reported last week that Google is drastically cutting its marketing spend and planning potential hiring freezes .
Earlier this month , Google made a significant change to the Google Shopping section of its search engine by making it free for any small business to list product inventory on the platform .
Google hopes it might open the platform up to many more small businesses , especially those hit hard by COVID-19 , and allow them to sell products online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That could , in theory , translate to more ad spend , as Google Shopping still allows businesses and advertising to pay for higher placement in search results .

Google parent company Alphabet managed to weather the storm caused by COVID-19 in its first quarterly earnings that take into account the society-altering shifts of the global pandemic.
But this past quarter included barely two months of time since many countries instituted shelter-in-place orders that have all but eliminated global travel and other industries that spend big on web advertising. That means the worst is yet to come for Alphabet’s business, and CEO Sundar Pichai and finance chief Ruth Porat appear to be trying to prepare the company accordingly.
“But then in March we experienced a significant slowdown in ad revenues.”
“Performance was strong during the first two months of the quarter, but then in March we experienced a significant slowdown in ad revenues. We are sharpening our focus on executing more efficiently, while continuing to invest in our long-term opportunities,” Porat said in a statement on Tuesday. Later on its earnings call, Porat revealed that for the first two months of the quarter, Google revenues were on pact to beat expectations but fell sharply by March, when the pandemic started accelerating worldwide. Porat added that use of Google products has risen, but interest has shifted away from commercial topics, like travel and new products, and toward COVID-related content.
In the first fiscal quarter of 2020, Alphabet earned $6.8 billion in profit on sales of $41.2 billion. While revenue is up 13 percent, net income increased only 1.5 percent. That indicates that a combination of Alphabet’s high spending and costs — including a sizable jump in its traffic acquisition costs — and the downturn in the global web advertising market has already cut into its profits. Analysts expect this to continue, and for the damage to Google’s ad business to intensify, over the next three months.
“We anticipate that the second quarter will be a difficult one for our advertising business,” Porat confirmed on the earnings call.
Google Cloud and YouTube revenues, which Alphabet began disclosing for the first time back in February after the US Securities and Exchange Commission demanded more transparency, were both bright spots for the company. YouTube revenue jumped 33 percent to $4 billion for the quarter, while Google’s cloud computing division saw a jump of more than 55 percent to $2.8 billion.
A growing part of Google Cloud is G Suite, the productivity suite Google sells to businesses that competes with Microsoft’s Office 365. It includes Google Meet, a newly rebranded Zoom competitor that Pichai told listeners on an earnings call Tuesday afternoon was growing at a pace of 3 million new users a day, up from 2 million a day late last month. Under Google’s “other revenues” section, which includes YouTube subscription revenues for its music and pay-TV services and Pixel and other hardware sales, the company saw a 22 percent jump to $4.4 billion.
Alphabet faces some significant challenges ahead. The company continued hiring this past quarter, adding nearly 5,000 new employees. It also saw traffic acquisition costs, referred to as TAC and composed in part of the money Google pays to partners to make its search engine the default option in competing mobile and web browsers, rise more than 15 percent.
Google’s Zoom competitor Meet is growing by 3 million new users a day
In addition to that, Alphabet’s Other Bets category — which includes its experimental X lab, Waymo self-driving subsidiary, and a number of other peripheral divisions like its Verily life sciences unit — continues to hemorrhage cash, costing the company $1.1 billion this past quarter. Stock-based compensation, which Google uses to partially pay many of its engineers and other high-earning employees’ salaries, rose 14 percent to $3.2 billion.
But Alphabet is already adjusting how much money it spends. The company has already publicly announced a slowdown on hiring for 2020, and CNBC reported last week that Google is drastically cutting its marketing spend and planning potential hiring freezes.


theverge--2020-04-29--No one knows when the COVID-19 pandemic will end

If you ’ ve been marking the pandemic by the pileup of cautious reopenings and rescheduled events , you might think that an end to this global disaster is in sight .
Event planners for the Kentucky Derby and Bonnaroo already have new opening days on the books in September .
The Olympics are scheduled to start in Tokyo on July 23rd , 2021 .
There ’ s just one problem : if anyone says that they know exactly when this pandemic will be over , they are lying .
No one can see the future .
The virus is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minds on Earth can ’ t do more than make educated guesses about what comes next and when .
Hell , we didn ’ t even notice the blood clot situation until just recently .
I know .
A guess is not comforting when you ’ re dreading another week of monotony in the same four walls .
End dates are comforting .
Reopenings are comforting .
Contemplating a future that looks a lot like our cozy , crowded past is way more comforting than our isolated present .
But let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future that looks a lot like our cozy , crowded past is way more comforting than our isolated present When bowling alleys and tattoo parlors reopened in Georgia on Friday , the pandemic was not over .
It won ’ t be over when the stay-at-home order in Michigan ( maybe ) lifts on April 30th or if the stay-at-home order in the Bay Area actually ends on May 31st .
The dates politicians are throwing around are not finish lines .
They aren ’ t guesses at an end date for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just time-outs .
We have no sure-fire treatments for the virus , no vaccine , and a limited supply of health care workers .
To keep as many people alive as possible , we ’ ve done the only thing we can do to slow the spread : we ’ ve hid from each other .
The virus ’ s effects have not been , as some proposed , a great equalizer .
The less you have , the harder you ’ re hit .
The federal government has mostly failed at leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doctors are clashing with the FBI over PPE , then running into the ER with whatever they can scrounge up .
Governors are hitting up their private-jet-owner friends to have masks flown in from China to equip their hospitals .
Nurses at other facilities are resorting to wearing garbage bags in an unsuccessful bid to avoid contracting the virus on the job .
People who are already vulnerable are getting hit the hardest .
Death rates have soared in black communities already slammed by other public health crises .
On the Navajo Nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributing to the virus ’ s continued spread .
The virus has raged through cramped homeless shelters and through the communities that can ’ t afford to distance themselves .
“ It ’ s become very clear to me what a socioeconomic disease this is , ” an ER doctor working in Elmhurst , Queens told The New Yorker .
“ People hear that term ‘ essential workers.
’ Short-order cooks , doormen , cleaners , deli workers—that is the patient population here.
” In some US prisons , the vast majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leaving incarcerated persons in fear for their lives .
One inmate , Sterling Rivers , grimly observed that “ Our sentences have turned into death sentences ” in an interview with The Wall Street Journal .
Our failures around the coronavirus are systemic failures of public policy .
Thanks to an inconsistent and often incoherent government response in the US , we now face an uncertain timeline for both economic and health recoveries Those failures have left the health care system struggling to cope , plunged society into a well of uncertainty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thanks to an inconsistent and often incoherent government response in the US , we now face an uncertain timeline for both economic and health recoveries .
Twenty-six million people have filed unemployment claims .
And so some governors will call an end to stay-home orders in the hopes of resuscitating their economies .
In Georgia , South Carolina , and parts of Tennessee , that time came on Friday .
Other states , like California and New York , are taking a longer view , gradually easing some restrictions on movement while enforcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temps , can ’ t lose .
As cases decrease , restrictions will relax .
But once we let our guard down , we ’ ll likely see resurgences of cases , once again straining health resources — leaving us with no choice but to close ourselves off again .
That ’ s what ’ s happening in parts of China now , where new outbreaks of the same disease have emerged .
The open-and-shut economy will likely continue as cases ebb and flow .
There are paths to victory , but as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these aren ’ t plans for returning to anything even approaching normal.
” Victory over the virus will involve a lot of things that we don ’ t have yet .
Scientific discoveries will help defeat the virus — but science can ’ t do it alone .
Public policies will play a huge role , and even with firm health guidelines and speedy scientific developments , it will take longer than we want for us to truly eke out a win .
What does a win look like ?
It will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick and careful quarantining of anyone who tests positive .
It will take armies of contact tracers to trace down anyone who might have been exposed .
These low-tech interventions are the best thing we ’ ve got while we give researchers the time they need to come up with other solutions .
Our brightest prospects — vaccines and treatments — are still in the minors Scientists will labor over vaccines and treatments , but the overwhelming majority of their trials will turn up nothing useful .
They ’ ll also keep trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ complicated response to it , in the hopes of developing legitimate antibody tests .
Eventually , we may discover something that destroys the virus without wrecking our bodies .
But none of that is ready today .
The end is still likely to be a long way away , as journalist Ed Yong writes in The Atlantic : “ The pandemic is not a hurricane or a wildfire .
It is not comparable to Pearl Harbor or 9/11 .
Such disasters are confined in time and space .
The SARS-CoV-2 virus will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world.
” Consider this a rebuilding year .
It might even turn into rebuilding years , depending on our progress .
Our brightest prospects — vaccines and treatments — are still in the minors .
Even antibody testing isn ’ t ready to be called up to the big leagues , at least not yet .
This is a long game , and focusing on the victory celebrations — like New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio ’ s plan to “ throw the biggest , best parade to honor ” health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the end .
If we focus on what victory looks like instead of what it takes to get us there , we ’ re going to keep being disappointed If we focus on what victory looks like instead of what it takes to get us there , we ’ re going to keep being disappointed .
We ’ ll feel defeated every time a drug fails in testing .
We can ’ t let it get to us like that .
The parades , the ballgames , the worship services that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be there once this is over .
What we ’ ve got to ensure now is that when we get to reopening day — whenever it is — that our concert halls and stadiums and spiritual homes are filled with as many of our human siblings as we can possibly save .
It still sucks when the goalposts move from April 15th to April 30th , then to May 15th .
It feels like we ’ re Charlie Brown and the end to this is a football that Lucy keeps pulling away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus itself , the clock isn ’ t the statistic that matters .
These are the ones that do : numbers of tests , numbers of new infections , and numbers of bodies in the morgues .
When the numbers of tests go up and confirmed cases and deaths go down , then our playbook will change .
But it won ’ t be the end of the fight — not yet .
We won ’ t be able to mark this finale in our calendars We play this through to the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Victory might look like a vaccine .
It might look like a robust testing regime or a new treatment .
It might look like us cobbling together a sense of normalcy and still watching for repeated outbreaks .
Whatever form it takes , we ’ ll fight our way there with masks , thermometers , and soap , buying some time along the way .
We ’ ll adjust our playbook as the virus adapts .
We ’ ll position ourselves farther apart .
We ’ ll do it again , and again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come .
We will be exhausted when we get there , but we will get there .
But if we don ’ t pace ourselves for the long haul , it will be that much harder to get through .
We won ’ t be able to mark this finale in our calendars .
All we can do is get through today , pushing our leaders to get the people on the front lines the resources and time they need to get us through this .
We need politicians who will stop telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear and start acting to keep as many of us alive as possible .

Part of / A guide to the COVID-19 pandemic
If you’ve been marking the pandemic by the pileup of cautious reopenings and rescheduled events, you might think that an end to this global disaster is in sight. Event planners for the Kentucky Derby and Bonnaroo already have new opening days on the books in September. The Olympics are scheduled to start in Tokyo on July 23rd, 2021. There’s just one problem: if anyone says that they know exactly when this pandemic will be over, they are lying.
No one can see the future. The virus is an unknown player, and the best minds on Earth can’t do more than make educated guesses about what comes next and when. Hell, we didn’t even notice the blood clot situation until just recently.
I know. A guess is not comforting when you’re dreading another week of monotony in the same four walls. End dates are comforting. Reopenings are comforting. Contemplating a future that looks a lot like our cozy, crowded past is way more comforting than our isolated present. But let’s not confuse comfort for truth.
a future that looks a lot like our cozy, crowded past is way more comforting than our isolated present
The dates politicians are throwing around are not finish lines. They aren’t guesses at an end date for this pandemic, either. Shelter-in-place orders are just time-outs. We have no sure-fire treatments for the virus, no vaccine, and a limited supply of health care workers. To keep as many people alive as possible, we’ve done the only thing we can do to slow the spread: we’ve hid from each other.
The virus’s effects have not been, as some proposed, a great equalizer. The less you have, the harder you’re hit. The federal government has mostly failed at leading a coherent response to the pandemic. Doctors are clashing with the FBI over PPE, then running into the ER with whatever they can scrounge up. Governors are hitting up their private-jet-owner friends to have masks flown in from China to equip their hospitals. Nurses at other facilities are resorting to wearing garbage bags in an unsuccessful bid to avoid contracting the virus on the job.
Thanks to an inconsistent and often incoherent government response in the US, we now face an uncertain timeline for both economic and health recoveries
Those failures have left the health care system struggling to cope, plunged society into a well of uncertainty, and sent the economy cratering. Thanks to an inconsistent and often incoherent government response in the US, we now face an uncertain timeline for both economic and health recoveries. Twenty-six million people have filed unemployment claims.
And so some governors will call an end to stay-home orders in the hopes of resuscitating their economies. In Georgia, South Carolina, and parts of Tennessee, that time came on Friday. Other states, like California and New York, are taking a longer view, gradually easing some restrictions on movement while enforcing new requirements — masks on, low temps, can’t lose.
As cases decrease, restrictions will relax. But once we let our guard down, we’ll likely see resurgences of cases, once again straining health resources — leaving us with no choice but to close ourselves off again. That’s what’s happening in parts of China now, where new outbreaks of the same disease have emerged. The open-and-shut economy will likely continue as cases ebb and flow.
There are paths to victory, but as Ezra Klein notes at Vox, “these aren’t plans for returning to anything even approaching normal.” Victory over the virus will involve a lot of things that we don’t have yet. Scientific discoveries will help defeat the virus — but science can’t do it alone. Public policies will play a huge role, and even with firm health guidelines and speedy scientific developments, it will take longer than we want for us to truly eke out a win.
What does a win look like? It will take widespread tests of everyone who might be sick and careful quarantining of anyone who tests positive. It will take armies of contact tracers to trace down anyone who might have been exposed. These low-tech interventions are the best thing we’ve got while we give researchers the time they need to come up with other solutions.
Our brightest prospects — vaccines and treatments — are still in the minors
Scientists will labor over vaccines and treatments, but the overwhelming majority of their trials will turn up nothing useful. They’ll also keep trying to understand the virus and our bodies’ complicated response to it, in the hopes of developing legitimate antibody tests. Eventually, we may discover something that destroys the virus without wrecking our bodies. But none of that is ready today.
The end is still likely to be a long way away, as journalist Ed Yong writes in The Atlantic: “The pandemic is not a hurricane or a wildfire. It is not comparable to Pearl Harbor or 9/11. Such disasters are confined in time and space. The SARS-CoV-2 virus will linger through the year and across the world.”
Consider this a rebuilding year. It might even turn into rebuilding years, depending on our progress. Our brightest prospects — vaccines and treatments — are still in the minors. Even antibody testing isn’t ready to be called up to the big leagues, at least not yet.
This is a long game, and focusing on the victory celebrations — like New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio’s plan to “throw the biggest, best parade to honor” health care workers — won’t get us to the end.
If we focus on what victory looks like instead of what it takes to get us there, we’re going to keep being disappointed
If we focus on what victory looks like instead of what it takes to get us there, we’re going to keep being disappointed. We’ll feel defeated every time a drug fails in testing. We can’t let it get to us like that. The parades, the ballgames, the worship services that we’re looking forward to, those will be there once this is over. What we’ve got to ensure now is that when we get to reopening day — whenever it is — that our concert halls and stadiums and spiritual homes are filled with as many of our human siblings as we can possibly save.
It still sucks when the goalposts move from April 15th to April 30th, then to May 15th. It feels like we’re Charlie Brown and the end to this is a football that Lucy keeps pulling away. But when it comes to the virus itself, the clock isn’t the statistic that matters. These are the ones that do: numbers of tests, numbers of new infections, and numbers of bodies in the morgues.
When the numbers of tests go up and confirmed cases and deaths go down, then our playbook will change. But it won’t be the end of the fight — not yet.
We won’t be able to mark this finale in our calendars
We play this through to the end — there is no other option. Victory might look like a vaccine. It might look like a robust testing regime or a new treatment. It might look like us cobbling together a sense of normalcy and still watching for repeated outbreaks. Whatever form it takes, we’ll fight our way there with masks, thermometers, and soap, buying some time along the way. We’ll adjust our playbook as the virus adapts. We’ll position ourselves farther apart. We’ll do it again, and again when the next waves of this virus come. We will be exhausted when we get there, but we will get there. But if we don’t pace ourselves for the long haul, it will be that much harder to get through.
We won’t be able to mark this finale in our calendars. All we can do is get through today, pushing our leaders to get the people on the front lines the resources and time they need to get us through this. We need politicians who will stop telling us the comforting things we want to hear and start acting to keep as many of us alive as possible.


theverge--2020-04-29--Google shuts down event organizing experiment as local meetups disappear

Google ’ s Area 120 incubator is shutting down Shoelace , a local event organizing app that it ’ s been trialing in New York City for the past year , 9to5Google reports .
The company said the service will be shutting down on May 12th in an email sent out to users yesterday .
“ While we ’ re very proud of what we have built and learned , the team has decided that now doesn ’ t feel like the right time to continue investing in this project , ” the email read .
Launched last July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to organize local events called “ Loops.
” The app then listed these events for other users based on their interests , allowing them to RSVP if they wished to attend .
It ’ s not surprising that Google has chosen to wind down the app after it was forced to pause meetups back in March , but it added in its FAQ that there are no plans to reboot the service once this era of social distancing comes to an end .
Shoelace joins a long list of apps and services that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company emphasized that its Area 120 incubator is more about trying out new ideas than setting up new long-term projects .
Just last October , 9to5Google notes that the incubator shut down its travel-focused Touring Bird service .
However , other experiments like Grasshopper and Pigeon are still under active development .

Google’s Area 120 incubator is shutting down Shoelace, a local event organizing app that it’s been trialing in New York City for the past year, 9to5Google reports. The company said the service will be shutting down on May 12th in an email sent out to users yesterday. “While we’re very proud of what we have built and learned, the team has decided that now doesn’t feel like the right time to continue investing in this project,” the email read.
Launched last July, Shoelace was an app that allowed people to organize local events called “Loops.” The app then listed these events for other users based on their interests, allowing them to RSVP if they wished to attend. It’s not surprising that Google has chosen to wind down the app after it was forced to pause meetups back in March, but it added in its FAQ that there are no plans to reboot the service once this era of social distancing comes to an end.


theverge--2020-04-29--Exam anxiety: how remote test-proctoring is creeping students out

The stranger on the Zoom call appeared to be sitting in a tent .
He wore a black headset and a blue lanyard around his neck .
Behind him was white plastic peppered with pictures of a padlock .
“ Hi , ” the stranger intoned .
“ My name is Sharath and I will be your proctor today .
Please confirm your name is Jackson and that you ’ re about to take your 11:30PM exam.
” “ Correct , ” said Jackson Hayes , from his cinder-block dorm room at the University of Arizona .
When he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Russian cinema history , he ’ d had no idea it meant being surveilled over video chat by someone on the other side of the world .
Hayes learned about it via an item on the class syllabus , released shortly before the semester began , that read “ Examity Directions.
” The syllabus instructed Hayes and his classmates to sign up for Examity , an online test-proctoring service .
To create his account , Hayes was required to upload a picture of his photo ID to Examity ’ s website and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and phone number — pretty banal stuff .
But it got weirder .
At the end , he typed his name again ; Examity would store a biometric template of his keystrokes .
“ The website looked like it was built in 2008 ” “ It feels so jury-rigged together , ” Hayes says .
“ The website looked like it was built in 2008.
” A month later , Hayes was preparing to take his first practice exam , with an Examity proctor watching him over Zoom .
Hayes didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d heard about its laundry list of security concerns — but it was required to take his midterm .
Sharath told Hayes to share his screen , and then to display both sides of his driver ’ s license in the webcam ’ s view .
“ I need to see your desk and workspace , ” the proctor said .
“ Please rotate your webcam 360 degrees so I can see the area around you.
” Hayes complied .
“ Please take a step back and show me the entire desk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hayes obeyed .
Then he had to answer some security questions .
Chrome thought one of the fields was for a credit card and autofilled .
“ Why the fuck did that show up ?
” Hayes asked .
“ First and last name without space , ” said Sharath , unperturbed .
Hayes quickly unselected the box , but his card ’ s last four digits and expiration date had already been displayed .
Finally , Hayes was instructed to grant the proctor remote access to his computer .
“ Please open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lock icon , ” the proctor said monotonically .
“ Please enter your computer password .
Perfect .
Thank you.
” At the beginning of 2019 , Examity estimated that it would proctor over 2 million exams The proctor entered a password , using Hayes ’ computer , and the test — taken online through Examity ’ s portal — began .
Sharath watched Hayes work , through his webcam , the entire time .
“ I was like , holy shit , this is not good , ” Hayes says .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chat , but remote proctoring was on the rise long before the first instance of COVID-19 .
The University of Arizona is one of over 500 schools that use or have used Examity in some form .
It ’ s not the only webcam-proctoring service out there : other schools use similar live programs like ProctorU , automated services like Proctortrack , or plagiarism-detection algorithms like Turnitin .
But while the novel coronavirus didn ’ t start the trend , it did exacerbate it .
Online proctoring has seen an explosion of business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to move their classes online ; the CEO of a similar service called Proctorio predicted that his service would increase its value four to five times this year .
Examity ’ s proctors told me they ’ ve been inundated with new tests since the start of the outbreak , and the company ’ s CEO Jim Holm confirmed that some employees have taken on additional hours .
“ We are grateful for our employees and their flexibility in supporting our partners during this time , ” he adds .
Examity is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimate that the company had around 10 proctors in 2014 , but had several hundred by the end of 2015 , and it now employs over a thousand .
( The Verge spoke to three Examity proctors and one former proctor for this story and granted them all anonymity to avoid retaliation from their employer . )
The company doubled in size between 2018 and 2019 , and it was named the fastest-growing ed-tech company in North America by Deloitte ’ s Fast 500 .
At the beginning of 2019 , the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million exams for higher education alone .
But students aren ’ t all on board with the widespread adoption of these services , and they haven ’ t been for over a decade .
In 2006 , a group of students at McLean High School in Virginia collected 1,190 signatures for a petition against the school ’ s required use of Turnitin .
“ It ’ s like if you searched every car in the parking lot or drug-tested every student , ” McLean senior Ben Donovan told The Washington Post at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having someone standing over your shoulder ” And in 2015 , after Rutgers mandated the use of Proctortrack in some online courses , a group of students revolted , circulating a petition against it that collected over 900 signatures .
Shortly after the petition began , the university announced it would offer students the option to take their exams in person .
The University of Arizona ’ s administrators believe most students don ’ t mind the software .
“ They know this is an expectation because their professors put it out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UA ’ s assistant director of technology and innovation .
“ It makes some people anxious .
We have some students who are like , ‘ I hate this , this isn ’ t cool.
’ But most of our students understand that this is a part of what their faculty members want them to do.
” That hasn ’ t been Hayes ’ experience .
“ Every student I know finds this the creepiest thing ever , ” Hayes says .
On his campus , he finds , “ the predominant feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Takashi K. , who requested that I withhold his surname to avoid repercussions from his school , is a student at St. Charles Community College in Missouri who has used Examity for multiple classes .
None of his friends like it either .
“ Anyone I have spoken to about it agrees that at the very least it ’ s a suspicious or annoying thing they have to do , ” he says .
On paper , there ’ s not much difference between taking a test in front of a professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front of your webcam .
“ Whether it ’ s face to face or whether it ’ s online , taking a test in general is stressful , ” says Melody Buckner , associate vice provost of digital learning and online initiatives at the University of Arizona .
“ Whether it ’ s a professor or TAs walking around the class watching you take the exam , or whether it ’ s someone through a computer , it ’ s stressful .
We realize this… and we work with faculty on trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best way to proctor your students and give them as little anxiety as possible.
” But students who have used Examity say it feels much weirder than proctoring with a professor or TA .
They ’ re being watched closer up , by a stranger , and in a place more private than a classroom .
In speaking to me , students described their experiences as everything from “ uncomfortable ” to “ intrusive ” to “ sketchy.
” “ It ’ s basically like having someone standing over your shoulder staring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Takashi says .
That ’ s not far from what the proctors are actually doing .
Tushar , a former Examity proctor who worked for the company from 2014 to 2015 , says , “ we closely watch the face of the student to see if there is something suspicious , like suspicious eye movements , or if the student is trying to mumble something to somebody else outside the room.
” ( They monitor one student at a time . )
“ Your transmission of your data to our site is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proctors also continuously scan students ’ surroundings .
“ If we see any kind of book , if I see somebody else there , there ’ s a chance the student may copy , ” Tushar says .
Each time a proctor sees a suspicious movement , they can raise a “ flag ” in Examity ’ s system .
After enough flags , Examity forwards the video to the student ’ s instructor .
Examity ’ s proctors certainly understand that students might find their product invasive .
“ I feel some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dhruv , tells me — and he believes most of his co-workers feel the same way .
Drhuv has seen personal information and messages on students ’ screens before .
But he still enjoys the work and says he would never share anything he saw .
“ We all will be careful , ” he says .
“ No problem with that.
” Holm says the creepiness is a necessary trade-off for an effective service .
“ Certainly , all proctoring environments , either in-person or online , require a level of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but is critical to ensure the integrity of each exam , ” he says .
He notes the similarity of the Examity experience to that of an in-person testing center , which might monitor its kiosks with cameras .
“ We also understand that trust is not given , but must be earned .
This principle drives everything we do at Examity , from our hiring and training practices to the technology that enables our platform , to the integrity of each proctoring experience.
” But the company ’ s attitude toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privacy policy does little to put naysayers at ease .
It states that Examity may collect a number of personal details from students who test with it , including student names , addresses , biometric records , driver ’ s license numbers , and passwords .
The company can use such details to analyze usage patterns and share them with third parties .
Holm tells The Verge that data breaches should not be a concern .
“ Examity employs a wide range of security controls — administrative , technical , and physical , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons , we do not disclose specifics about these additional controls .
However , we do invest heavily in continuous development and testing of the security architecture of the Examity platform precisely to prevent such a compromise.
” Still , Examity ’ s privacy policy is clear that the company can ’ t guarantee the security of personal data .
“ Your transmission of your data to our site is thus done entirely at your own risk , ” it reads .
That is , Examity takes no responsibility for protecting students ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide in order to pass their classes .
Harold Li , a security expert who has consulted for a number of large tech companies and is currently a vice president at ExpressVPN , believes Examity ’ s dangers go beyond technical inconvenience .
“ It ’ s a huge security issue for students to be required to install third-party software that they don ’ t have the opportunity to meaningfully vet themselves , and give a stranger full remote access to their computer , ” Li says .
“ At a minimum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ establishes dangerous security habits.
” Li says Examity ’ s process is rife with potential privacy nightmares .
“ The proctoring software could have a security vulnerability that results in a hacker taking advantage of the remote control capabilities , the proctor could use their position of power to maliciously socially engineer the student to allow them to install malware , or the proctoring platform could leak data including student ID cards and other personal information to identity thieves.
” It ’ s easy to see the argument for services like Examity at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students are enrolled in online college courses .
I spoke to several students who appreciate the ability to take tests at home due to their distance from campus , familial responsibilities , or other circumstances that make online classes attractive in the first place .
And that does seem to be Examity ’ s primary mission : to open up online courses to students who couldn ’ t take them otherwise .
“ Online education has the potential to dramatically expand access and respond to the needs of a digitally connected generation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Our work has always been about validating the learning experience to ensure the quality of the degrees , certifications , and credentials that our partners provide.
” To use Examity , students are required to have a computer with a working webcam , a stable internet connection , and a private room where they can take their tests alone .
Those don ’ t sound like unreasonable asks , especially for folks who are already enrolled in an online class .
Buckner at the University of Arizona says most UA students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ software .
“ Students know their studies are going to be online , ” she tells The Verge .
“ They realize they have to have certain equipment to be able to do a fully online program.
” Buckner says UA students can check out laptops and webcams from the university ’ s library , and that the school provides a physical testing center for students who need the space .
“ We are trying to accommodate students as much as we can during this crisis , ” she says .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bases.
” Still , some students believe that the service may cause more accessibility issues than it prevents .
Sandra L. , who also requested that I withhold her surname , used Examity for a midterm in her astronomy class at Ocean County College in New Jersey .
She had never used Zoom before and couldn ’ t get the program to work on her two-year-old iMac .
She had no way to get another computer ; the college ’ s computers had no webcams .
Her first assigned proctor was so frustrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sandra called back and got another proctor who still couldn ’ t figure out the problem .
Eventually , Sandra gave up and took a zero on the test .
“ Just a real bad experience , ” she says .
“ I would not recommend Examity to anyone.
” She wasn ’ t the only one .
So many of her classmates had similar technical issues that Sandra ’ s professor decided not to use the program for the final exam .
A Yale student , who used Examity for a summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technical issues before she could begin her midterm .
A number of her classmates also had trouble starting at their assigned time .
For students she knew who were squeezing the test into a lunch break or juggling other commitments , the delays were a problem .
Takashi says the portal has crashed twice in the middle of his testing .
After one of the crashes , his proctor called his cellphone to ask why he ’ d dropped the call .
A University of Wisconsin student says that Examity makes testing especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students be in an empty , silent room while they test .
For the student , who lives with their two young children , this was a tall order .
“ It is difficult for a non-traditional student to be alone and quiet , ” the student says .
“ I have a family in a tiny home.
” The student didn ’ t protest , but others did ; the professor stopped using Examity a month after introducing it .
The weirdness and the technical inconvenience might be worth the trade-off if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student I asked said they had never cheated with Examity ( or at least didn ’ t admit to it ) , they all thought it could be done .
Tricksters across the internet have developed workarounds .
One Reddit user was successfully able to keep a cheat sheet pressed against their computer screen , out of the webcam ’ s view .
They were also able to use their phone during the test .
When the proctor asked to see their phone , the student showed them a case with the Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then dropped it into a backpack .
“ I passed the test and that was that , ” the student wrote .
“ It ’ s hilarious to think these companies can prevent cheating.
” Other commenters brainstormed a range of techniques .
“ Print your notes on plastic transparency , the stuff they use for overhead projectors , ” noted one user .
“ Static cling will hold it to the screen.
” “ 49-inch ultrawide with an iPad taped to the right side of it , ” suggested another .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floated another .
In 2015 , software engineer Jake Binstein wrote an exhaustive array of workarounds , including virtual webcam software , projecting tests to conspirators in another room , and putting the answers on the inside of sunglasses .
But his list , he noted , contains just a fraction of the tricks students might try .
“ If professors think students won ’ t go to these lengths in order to skip studying — they ’ re fools.
” Examity ’ s website says its proctors are required to have “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go through eight weeks of intensive training ; in theory , they should be catching every trick in the books .
This seems to differ from reality , however .
The proctors I spoke to said they had no proctoring experience before joining Examity , their training lasted around a month , and it was not particularly intensive .
The company is headquartered in Massachusetts , but the proctors are in Hyderabad , one of India ’ s largest cities .
There are a number of Examity job postings in Facebook groups for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One , in a group called “ Fresher Jobs Hyderabad , ” lists “ good communication skills ” as the sole requirement .
( Holm stands by the information on the website .
“ In nearly every case , we provide our proctors with an eight-week training course.
” ) As for cheaters , Holm says that Examity is constantly adapting to new strategies ; he notes that the company keeps proctors informed of novel tricks and keeps policies and procedures updated as they evolve .
The proportion of cheaters that Examity deters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a less important question .
What is clear is that as universities find new ways to curb cheating , students find new ways to cheat .
And as the cycle escalates , invasive procedures and technical requirements continue to stretch beyond what many students are comfortable with .
“ It ’ s like a digital arms race , ” Hayes says .
“ When people find new ways to cheat , you have to find new ways to stop them .
But Examity is the nuclear option.
” “ Students nearly always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martorell , a psychology professor at Virginia Wesleyan University , believes that arms race isn ’ t worth the trade-offs .
Instead , she says , it illustrates the limitations of tests as assessment tools .
“ In my experience , students nearly always find some way to cheat if they really want to , ” says Martorell .
“ I would rather set up a situation where students are less likely to cheat.
” She has moved her classes away from multiple-choice tests and placed more emphasis on open-book evaluations , projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t easily found on Google .
But as some professors abandon Examity , others jump on board , especially as travel bans and campus closures related to COVID-19 force universities around the world to scale up their online instruction .
Southern Cross University in Australia piloted the platform for its health courses , despite concerns that some students couldn ’ t access the bandwidth or hardware necessary .
Only 20 out of 24 students in China were able to take their scheduled exams , a result the university considered a success .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grows , Examity continues expanding .
The company has hired 150 US-based proctors since the end of March , and 150 additional support professionals .
Meanwhile , the pandemic has forced the company to close its office in Hyderabad .
Live proctoring was suspended for a few weeks , but the proctors are now back online and working from home .
“ The scope and scale of this particular challenge for higher education is something that no one could have predicted , ” Holm says .
“ As we navigate this uncharted territory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both existing and new partners to meet the increased demand.
” The company rolled out a new interface in February , intended to create a better experience for test-takers .
Hayes , who took a midterm on the new platform in March , says the same problems persist .
And despite their frustrations , he and his classmates assume Examity isn ’ t going anywhere .
“ When you ’ re a student , you have no choice , ” he says .
“ This is school in 2020 .
”

The stranger on the Zoom call appeared to be sitting in a tent. He wore a black headset and a blue lanyard around his neck. Behind him was white plastic peppered with pictures of a padlock.
“Hi,” the stranger intoned. “My name is Sharath and I will be your proctor today. Please confirm your name is Jackson and that you’re about to take your 11:30PM exam.”
“Correct,” said Jackson Hayes, from his cinder-block dorm room at the University of Arizona.
When he’d signed up for an online class in Russian cinema history, he’d had no idea it meant being surveilled over video chat by someone on the other side of the world. Hayes learned about it via an item on the class syllabus, released shortly before the semester began, that read “Examity Directions.” The syllabus instructed Hayes and his classmates to sign up for Examity, an online test-proctoring service.
To create his account, Hayes was required to upload a picture of his photo ID to Examity’s website and provide his full name, email, and phone number — pretty banal stuff. But it got weirder. At the end, he typed his name again; Examity would store a biometric template of his keystrokes.
“The website looked like it was built in 2008”
“It feels so jury-rigged together,” Hayes says. “The website looked like it was built in 2008.”
A month later, Hayes was preparing to take his first practice exam, with an Examity proctor watching him over Zoom. Hayes didn’t want to download Zoom — he’d heard about its laundry list of security concerns — but it was required to take his midterm.
Sharath told Hayes to share his screen, and then to display both sides of his driver’s license in the webcam’s view. “I need to see your desk and workspace,” the proctor said. “Please rotate your webcam 360 degrees so I can see the area around you.” Hayes complied. “Please take a step back and show me the entire desk,” the proctor instructed. Again, Hayes obeyed.
Then he had to answer some security questions. Chrome thought one of the fields was for a credit card and autofilled.
“Why the fuck did that show up?” Hayes asked.
“First and last name without space,” said Sharath, unperturbed.
Hayes quickly unselected the box, but his card’s last four digits and expiration date had already been displayed.
Finally, Hayes was instructed to grant the proctor remote access to his computer. “Please open your system preferences and click on the lock icon,” the proctor said monotonically. “Please enter your computer password. Perfect. Thank you.”
At the beginning of 2019, Examity estimated that it would proctor over 2 million exams
The proctor entered a password, using Hayes’ computer, and the test — taken online through Examity’s portal — began. Sharath watched Hayes work, through his webcam, the entire time.
“I was like, holy shit, this is not good,” Hayes says.
The pandemic has increased our reliance on video chat, but remote proctoring was on the rise long before the first instance of COVID-19. The University of Arizona is one of over 500 schools that use or have used Examity in some form. It’s not the only webcam-proctoring service out there: other schools use similar live programs like ProctorU, automated services like Proctortrack, or plagiarism-detection algorithms like Turnitin. But while the novel coronavirus didn’t start the trend, it did exacerbate it. Online proctoring has seen an explosion of business as schools around the world are forced to move their classes online; the CEO of a similar service called Proctorio predicted that his service would increase its value four to five times this year.
Examity’s proctors told me they’ve been inundated with new tests since the start of the outbreak, and the company’s CEO Jim Holm confirmed that some employees have taken on additional hours. “We are grateful for our employees and their flexibility in supporting our partners during this time,” he adds.
Examity is one of the fastest-growing online-proctoring services. Employees estimate that the company had around 10 proctors in 2014, but had several hundred by the end of 2015, and it now employs over a thousand. (The Verge spoke to three Examity proctors and one former proctor for this story and granted them all anonymity to avoid retaliation from their employer.) The company doubled in size between 2018 and 2019, and it was named the fastest-growing ed-tech company in North America by Deloitte’s Fast 500. At the beginning of 2019, the company estimated that it would proctor over 2 million exams for higher education alone.
But students aren’t all on board with the widespread adoption of these services, and they haven’t been for over a decade. In 2006, a group of students at McLean High School in Virginia collected 1,190 signatures for a petition against the school’s required use of Turnitin. “It’s like if you searched every car in the parking lot or drug-tested every student,” McLean senior Ben Donovan told The Washington Post at the time.
“It’s like having someone standing over your shoulder”
And in 2015, after Rutgers mandated the use of Proctortrack in some online courses, a group of students revolted, circulating a petition against it that collected over 900 signatures. Shortly after the petition began, the university announced it would offer students the option to take their exams in person.
The University of Arizona’s administrators believe most students don’t mind the software. “They know this is an expectation because their professors put it out there,” says Kristin Ziska Strange, UA’s assistant director of technology and innovation. “It makes some people anxious. We have some students who are like, ‘I hate this, this isn’t cool.’ But most of our students understand that this is a part of what their faculty members want them to do.”
That hasn’t been Hayes’ experience. “Every student I know finds this the creepiest thing ever,” Hayes says. On his campus, he finds, “the predominant feeling towards Examity is ‘Screw this.’”
Takashi K., who requested that I withhold his surname to avoid repercussions from his school, is a student at St. Charles Community College in Missouri who has used Examity for multiple classes. None of his friends like it either. “Anyone I have spoken to about it agrees that at the very least it’s a suspicious or annoying thing they have to do,” he says.
On paper, there’s not much difference between taking a test in front of a professor or TA and taking a test in front of your webcam. “Whether it’s face to face or whether it’s online, taking a test in general is stressful,” says Melody Buckner, associate vice provost of digital learning and online initiatives at the University of Arizona. “Whether it’s a professor or TAs walking around the class watching you take the exam, or whether it’s someone through a computer, it’s stressful. We realize this… and we work with faculty on trying to determine what’s going to be the best way to proctor your students and give them as little anxiety as possible.”
But students who have used Examity say it feels much weirder than proctoring with a professor or TA. They’re being watched closer up, by a stranger, and in a place more private than a classroom. In speaking to me, students described their experiences as everything from “uncomfortable” to “intrusive” to “sketchy.” “It’s basically like having someone standing over your shoulder staring at your screen the whole time,” Takashi says.
That’s not far from what the proctors are actually doing. Tushar, a former Examity proctor who worked for the company from 2014 to 2015, says, “we closely watch the face of the student to see if there is something suspicious, like suspicious eye movements, or if the student is trying to mumble something to somebody else outside the room.” (They monitor one student at a time.)
“Your transmission of your data to our site is done entirely at your own risk.”
Proctors also continuously scan students’ surroundings. “If we see any kind of book, if I see somebody else there, there’s a chance the student may copy,” Tushar says. Each time a proctor sees a suspicious movement, they can raise a “flag” in Examity’s system. After enough flags, Examity forwards the video to the student’s instructor.
Examity’s proctors certainly understand that students might find their product invasive. “I feel some type of guilty,” another proctor, Dhruv, tells me — and he believes most of his co-workers feel the same way. Drhuv has seen personal information and messages on students’ screens before. But he still enjoys the work and says he would never share anything he saw. “We all will be careful,” he says. “No problem with that.”
Holm says the creepiness is a necessary trade-off for an effective service. “Certainly, all proctoring environments, either in-person or online, require a level of monitoring that can present discomfort to students, but is critical to ensure the integrity of each exam,” he says. He notes the similarity of the Examity experience to that of an in-person testing center, which might monitor its kiosks with cameras. “We also understand that trust is not given, but must be earned. This principle drives everything we do at Examity, from our hiring and training practices to the technology that enables our platform, to the integrity of each proctoring experience.”
But the company’s attitude toward personal data is more concerning; its privacy policy does little to put naysayers at ease. It states that Examity may collect a number of personal details from students who test with it, including student names, addresses, biometric records, driver’s license numbers, and passwords. The company can use such details to analyze usage patterns and share them with third parties.
Holm tells The Verge that data breaches should not be a concern. “Examity employs a wide range of security controls — administrative, technical, and physical,” he says. “For obvious reasons, we do not disclose specifics about these additional controls. However, we do invest heavily in continuous development and testing of the security architecture of the Examity platform precisely to prevent such a compromise.”
Still, Examity’s privacy policy is clear that the company can’t guarantee the security of personal data. “Your transmission of your data to our site is thus done entirely at your own risk,” it reads. That is, Examity takes no responsibility for protecting students’ personal data, which they are required to provide in order to pass their classes.
Harold Li, a security expert who has consulted for a number of large tech companies and is currently a vice president at ExpressVPN, believes Examity’s dangers go beyond technical inconvenience. “It’s a huge security issue for students to be required to install third-party software that they don’t have the opportunity to meaningfully vet themselves, and give a stranger full remote access to their computer,” Li says. “At a minimum, it sets a bad precedent and establishes dangerous security habits.”
Li says Examity’s process is rife with potential privacy nightmares. “The proctoring software could have a security vulnerability that results in a hacker taking advantage of the remote control capabilities, the proctor could use their position of power to maliciously socially engineer the student to allow them to install malware, or the proctoring platform could leak data including student ID cards and other personal information to identity thieves.”
It’s easy to see the argument for services like Examity at a time when over 6 million US students are enrolled in online college courses. I spoke to several students who appreciate the ability to take tests at home due to their distance from campus, familial responsibilities, or other circumstances that make online classes attractive in the first place.
And that does seem to be Examity’s primary mission: to open up online courses to students who couldn’t take them otherwise. “Online education has the potential to dramatically expand access and respond to the needs of a digitally connected generation of students,” Holm tells The Verge. “Our work has always been about validating the learning experience to ensure the quality of the degrees, certifications, and credentials that our partners provide.”
To use Examity, students are required to have a computer with a working webcam, a stable internet connection, and a private room where they can take their tests alone. Those don’t sound like unreasonable asks, especially for folks who are already enrolled in an online class. Buckner at the University of Arizona says most UA students don’t have trouble using the software. “Students know their studies are going to be online,” she tells The Verge. “They realize they have to have certain equipment to be able to do a fully online program.” Buckner says UA students can check out laptops and webcams from the university’s library, and that the school provides a physical testing center for students who need the space. “We are trying to accommodate students as much as we can during this crisis,” she says. “We’re trying to cover all our bases.”
Still, some students believe that the service may cause more accessibility issues than it prevents.
An Examity portal
Sandra L., who also requested that I withhold her surname, used Examity for a midterm in her astronomy class at Ocean County College in New Jersey. She had never used Zoom before and couldn’t get the program to work on her two-year-old iMac. She had no way to get another computer; the college’s computers had no webcams. Her first assigned proctor was so frustrated that she hung up the call; Sandra called back and got another proctor who still couldn’t figure out the problem. Eventually, Sandra gave up and took a zero on the test.
“Just a real bad experience,” she says. “I would not recommend Examity to anyone.”
Examity’s registration page. Image: Loyola University Chicago
She wasn’t the only one. So many of her classmates had similar technical issues that Sandra’s professor decided not to use the program for the final exam.
A Yale student, who used Examity for a summer class, says she spent hours troubleshooting technical issues before she could begin her midterm. A number of her classmates also had trouble starting at their assigned time. For students she knew who were squeezing the test into a lunch break or juggling other commitments, the delays were a problem.
Takashi says the portal has crashed twice in the middle of his testing. After one of the crashes, his proctor called his cellphone to ask why he’d dropped the call.
A University of Wisconsin student says that Examity makes testing especially difficult for parents. Examity requires that students be in an empty, silent room while they test. For the student, who lives with their two young children, this was a tall order. “It is difficult for a non-traditional student to be alone and quiet,” the student says. “I have a family in a tiny home.” The student didn’t protest, but others did; the professor stopped using Examity a month after introducing it.
The weirdness and the technical inconvenience might be worth the trade-off if Examity reliably caught cheaters. While every student I asked said they had never cheated with Examity (or at least didn’t admit to it), they all thought it could be done.
Tricksters across the internet have developed workarounds. One Reddit user was successfully able to keep a cheat sheet pressed against their computer screen, out of the webcam’s view. They were also able to use their phone during the test. When the proctor asked to see their phone, the student showed them a case with the Apple logo and a camera drawn inside, then dropped it into a backpack. “I passed the test and that was that,” the student wrote. “It’s hilarious to think these companies can prevent cheating.”
A screenshot of Examity’s proctoring process. Image: Jackson Hayes
Other commenters brainstormed a range of techniques. “Print your notes on plastic transparency, the stuff they use for overhead projectors,” noted one user. “Static cling will hold it to the screen.” “49-inch ultrawide with an iPad taped to the right side of it,” suggested another. “Rename your icons with formulas,” floated another.
In 2015, software engineer Jake Binstein wrote an exhaustive array of workarounds, including virtual webcam software, projecting tests to conspirators in another room, and putting the answers on the inside of sunglasses. But his list, he noted, contains just a fraction of the tricks students might try. “If professors think students won’t go to these lengths in order to skip studying — they’re fools.”
Examity’s website says its proctors are required to have “years of technical support accomplishments” and go through eight weeks of intensive training; in theory, they should be catching every trick in the books. This seems to differ from reality, however. The proctors I spoke to said they had no proctoring experience before joining Examity, their training lasted around a month, and it was not particularly intensive.
“It’s like a digital arms race”
The company is headquartered in Massachusetts, but the proctors are in Hyderabad, one of India’s largest cities. There are a number of Examity job postings in Facebook groups for recent college graduates in the area. One, in a group called “Fresher Jobs Hyderabad,” lists “good communication skills” as the sole requirement. (Holm stands by the information on the website. “In nearly every case, we provide our proctors with an eight-week training course.”)
As for cheaters, Holm says that Examity is constantly adapting to new strategies; he notes that the company keeps proctors informed of novel tricks and keeps policies and procedures updated as they evolve. The proportion of cheaters that Examity deters (or catches), however, is a less important question. What is clear is that as universities find new ways to curb cheating, students find new ways to cheat. And as the cycle escalates, invasive procedures and technical requirements continue to stretch beyond what many students are comfortable with.
“It’s like a digital arms race,” Hayes says. “When people find new ways to cheat, you have to find new ways to stop them. But Examity is the nuclear option.”
“Students nearly always find some way to cheat”
Gabi Martorell, a psychology professor at Virginia Wesleyan University, believes that arms race isn’t worth the trade-offs. Instead, she says, it illustrates the limitations of tests as assessment tools.
“In my experience, students nearly always find some way to cheat if they really want to,” says Martorell. “I would rather set up a situation where students are less likely to cheat.” She has moved her classes away from multiple-choice tests and placed more emphasis on open-book evaluations, projects, and papers where answers aren’t easily found on Google.
But as some professors abandon Examity, others jump on board, especially as travel bans and campus closures related to COVID-19 force universities around the world to scale up their online instruction. Southern Cross University in Australia piloted the platform for its health courses, despite concerns that some students couldn’t access the bandwidth or hardware necessary. Only 20 out of 24 students in China were able to take their scheduled exams, a result the university considered a success.
As classes move online and demand for proctoring grows, Examity continues expanding. The company has hired 150 US-based proctors since the end of March, and 150 additional support professionals. Meanwhile, the pandemic has forced the company to close its office in Hyderabad. Live proctoring was suspended for a few weeks, but the proctors are now back online and working from home. “The scope and scale of this particular challenge for higher education is something that no one could have predicted,” Holm says. “As we navigate this uncharted territory, we are working very closely with both existing and new partners to meet the increased demand.”


theverge--2020-04-29--Google and Microsoft chase after Zoom with new features and free services

Zoom ’ s growth has exploded in recent weeks , leaving rivals like Google , Microsoft , and Facebook scrambling to respond .
Millions of people have turned to Zoom to hold virtual get-togethers , birthday parties , and yoga classes during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
This extra attention hasn ’ t gone unnoticed among Zoom rivals , who are looking on enviously at Zoom ’ s growth : up from 10 million daily users in December to more than 300 million in April .
While Zoom now battles security and privacy concerns , its rivals are starting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that its Meet video conferencing service , known previously as Hangouts Meet , is now free for anybody who wants to use it .
Previously geared towards enterprise and educational use , Google Meet can now be used by anyone with a Google account , and supports meetings of any amount of time ( at least until October when they might be limited to 60 minutes ) for up to 100 people .
It ’ s a big move that ’ s clearly designed to counter Zoom ’ s popularity .
Google is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Meet , with more than 100 million daily meeting participants as people shift to remote work and schooling .
That doesn ’ t come close to the 300 million daily users that Zoom claims it has , but Google Meet is clearly emerging as a strong Zoom alternative .
Google and Microsoft have both copied Zoom ’ s gallery view Google is now adjusting how Meet works in response to Zoom .
The option to show up to 16 people simultaneously rolled out just last week , and it looks very similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meet is even being integrated into Gmail .
This tighter Meet and Gmail integration is being overseen by Javier Soltero , Google ’ s GM and VP of G Suite .
Soltero was the co-founder of Accompli , the email app Microsoft acquired and turned into Outlook for iOS .
Soltero left Microsoft at the end of 2018 after previously leading the company ’ s Cortana efforts , and joined Google six months ago .
Zoom ’ s rise in popularity also caught Microsoft by surprise , even though the company recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Skype has failed to fully capitalize on the video calling market it once dominated , leaving the door wide open for competition .
While Skype usage has increased to 40 million daily users ( up from 23 million previously ) , it ’ s not been enough to counter Zoom ’ s popularity .
Microsoft is now focused on rapidly improving its Teams product instead .
Sources familiar with Microsoft ’ s plans tell The Verge that the company has been reassigning engineers to quickly roll out features in Teams that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Microsoft has been closely monitoring how people are using Teams for remote working , and finalized the rollout of new features like custom backgrounds recently .
Virtual backgrounds have become very popular on Zoom , even reaching meme levels of admiration .
Microsoft announced its own surge in Teams usage last month , alongside some new features it ’ s planning to deliver later this year .
One feature , a virtual raise your hand for attention , is already beginning to roll out to Teams users .
Much like Google , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of participants who can be viewed simultaneously in the coming weeks .
Zoom currently supports 49 people in its simultaneous gallery view , with Microsoft about to support nine and Google at 16 .
Microsoft and Google are both planning to support even more people in the future .
We understand Microsoft had been planning to announce some of these new Teams options later this year , but the company has been forced to prioritize additions like a new real-time noise suppression feature as more people are working in makeshift home offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ background .
Microsoft also improved meeting management earlier this month — a subtle response to Zoom ’ s problematic meeting administration — and predicted that the coronavirus pandemic will forever change the way we work and learn .
Microsoft is also racing to get Teams ready for consumers to use this summer .
The Teams for consumers push is part of a broader Microsoft 365 consumer subscription effort , and it involves tweaking Teams to make it friendly for groups of friends or families .
Microsoft is aiming Teams at people who plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book clubs and social gatherings .
New features include the ability for friends to connect in a group chat or through video calls , and options to share to-do lists , photos , and other content in a single location .
Microsoft is racing to make Teams more consumer-friendly Google and Microsoft aren ’ t the only competitors looking to respond to Zoom , though .
Facebook quickly scrambled to launch Messenger Rooms last week , an answer to Zoom and Houseparty .
The New York Times reported that Zoom ’ s popularity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zuckerberg , who reportedly ordered the company to respond as “ employees openly gawked at public data showing Zoom ’ s growing popularity.
” Some rivals have even turned to highlighting Zoom ’ s security issues as a method to hit back .
Cisco , which operates the popular Webex web conferencing service , has been encouraging employees and partners to ask questions about Zoom ’ s security and privacy flaws , according to an internal document seen by The Verge .
The document encourages Cisco partners not to buy into the Zoom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for how Cisco Webex employees and partners can respond to Zoom ’ s increase in market share .
Cisco even openly questions “ what did they [ Zoom ] do with the data they already sold ?
” in the document that highlighted Zoom privacy fears last month .
The real test for Zoom and its competitors will be the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic .
Microsoft is preparing for a future that ’ s vastly different , but one where the company believes this video calling surge will decline .
Nobody could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in popularity in response to a global pandemic .
The race is now on to see which company leads the way in shaping how many of us communicate with friends , family , and coworkers in the new normal that emerges in the months ahead .

Zoom’s growth has exploded in recent weeks, leaving rivals like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook scrambling to respond. Millions of people have turned to Zoom to hold virtual get-togethers, birthday parties, and yoga classes during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This extra attention hasn’t gone unnoticed among Zoom rivals, who are looking on enviously at Zoom’s growth: up from 10 million daily users in December to more than 300 million in April. While Zoom now battles security and privacy concerns, its rivals are starting to hit back.
Google is announcing today that its Meet video conferencing service, known previously as Hangouts Meet, is now free for anybody who wants to use it. Previously geared towards enterprise and educational use, Google Meet can now be used by anyone with a Google account, and supports meetings of any amount of time (at least until October when they might be limited to 60 minutes) for up to 100 people. It’s a big move that’s clearly designed to counter Zoom’s popularity.
Google is also seeing its own increase in demand for Meet, with more than 100 million daily meeting participants as people shift to remote work and schooling. That doesn’t come close to the 300 million daily users that Zoom claims it has, but Google Meet is clearly emerging as a strong Zoom alternative.
Google Meet’s new tiled view.
Google and Microsoft have both copied Zoom’s gallery view
Google is now adjusting how Meet works in response to Zoom. The option to show up to 16 people simultaneously rolled out just last week, and it looks very similar to Zoom’s popular gallery view. Meet is even being integrated into Gmail. This tighter Meet and Gmail integration is being overseen by Javier Soltero, Google’s GM and VP of G Suite. Soltero was the co-founder of Accompli, the email app Microsoft acquired and turned into Outlook for iOS. Soltero left Microsoft at the end of 2018 after previously leading the company’s Cortana efforts, and joined Google six months ago.
Zoom’s rise in popularity also caught Microsoft by surprise, even though the company recently identified Zoom as an “emerging threat.” Skype has failed to fully capitalize on the video calling market it once dominated, leaving the door wide open for competition. While Skype usage has increased to 40 million daily users (up from 23 million previously), it’s not been enough to counter Zoom’s popularity. Microsoft is now focused on rapidly improving its Teams product instead. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the company has been reassigning engineers to quickly roll out features in Teams that it had been planning for later this year.
Microsoft has been closely monitoring how people are using Teams for remote working, and finalized the rollout of new features like custom backgrounds recently. Virtual backgrounds have become very popular on Zoom, even reaching meme levels of admiration. Microsoft announced its own surge in Teams usage last month, alongside some new features it’s planning to deliver later this year. One feature, a virtual raise your hand for attention, is already beginning to roll out to Teams users. Much like Google, Microsoft is also preparing to increase the number of participants who can be viewed simultaneously in the coming weeks. Zoom currently supports 49 people in its simultaneous gallery view, with Microsoft about to support nine and Google at 16. Microsoft and Google are both planning to support even more people in the future.
We understand Microsoft had been planning to announce some of these new Teams options later this year, but the company has been forced to prioritize additions like a new real-time noise suppression feature as more people are working in makeshift home offices with noisy children and pets in the background. Microsoft also improved meeting management earlier this month — a subtle response to Zoom’s problematic meeting administration — and predicted that the coronavirus pandemic will forever change the way we work and learn.
Microsoft is also racing to get Teams ready for consumers to use this summer. The Teams for consumers push is part of a broader Microsoft 365 consumer subscription effort, and it involves tweaking Teams to make it friendly for groups of friends or families. Microsoft is aiming Teams at people who plan trips with friends, or those organizing book clubs and social gatherings. New features include the ability for friends to connect in a group chat or through video calls, and options to share to-do lists, photos, and other content in a single location.
Microsoft is racing to make Teams more consumer-friendly
Google and Microsoft aren’t the only competitors looking to respond to Zoom, though. Facebook quickly scrambled to launch Messenger Rooms last week, an answer to Zoom and Houseparty. The New York Times reported that Zoom’s popularity caught the attention of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who reportedly ordered the company to respond as “employees openly gawked at public data showing Zoom’s growing popularity.”
Facebook’s Messenger Rooms app.
Some rivals have even turned to highlighting Zoom’s security issues as a method to hit back. Cisco, which operates the popular Webex web conferencing service, has been encouraging employees and partners to ask questions about Zoom’s security and privacy flaws, according to an internal document seen by The Verge. The document encourages Cisco partners not to buy into the Zoom hype, and includes several talking points for how Cisco Webex employees and partners can respond to Zoom’s increase in market share. Cisco even openly questions “what did they [Zoom] do with the data they already sold?” in the document that highlighted Zoom privacy fears last month.


theverge--2020-04-29--Spotify earnings: ‘Every day now looks like the weekend’

People are changing how they listen to Spotify as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic , the company announced in its latest earnings release today .
Spotify says that it has met its forecasts in the three-month period ending March 31st , but noted that people ’ s daily routines are changing .
“ Morning routines have changed significantly , ” says Spotify .
“ Every day now looks like the weekend.
” It makes sense .
As more people work and study at home , people don ’ t have a morning commute to spend listening to Spotify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurring through the service ’ s car and wearable apps .
Spotify says this has had a more significant impact on podcasts than music .
However , other devices appear to be picking up some of the slack .
The company says that the audience listening through TVs and game consoles is up by over 50 percent .
Spotify admits that the pandemic has and will have a negative effect on some areas of its business , though .
Although the company says these numbers have recovered in some areas , consumption and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Italy and Spain which were hit hard by the pandemic early on .
However , monthly active users and paid subscriber number numbers did not see a fall in areas where consumption decreased .
Spotify ’ s ad business has been hit harder than other areas , as economic uncertainty means companies spend less money on advertising .
The company says its ad-supported revenues fell short of its forecast , and it has lowered its revenue guidance for the year as a result .
Spotify also says it ’ s slowing down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the year .
However , overall the company is optimistic , noting that it believes its business model is “ uniquely positioned ” to deal with the ongoing crisis .
Spotify says that it now has 286 million monthly active users worldwide ( an increase of 31 percent ) and 130 million subscribers ( also up by 31 percent ) .
Although the number of users cancelling their accounts were down overall , Spotify did say that one in six people who cancelled their accounts in the US cited COVID-19 as a reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renew their accounts once their economic situation improves , The Wall Street Journal notes .

People are changing how they listen to Spotify as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced in its latest earnings release today. Spotify says that it has met its forecasts in the three-month period ending March 31st, but noted that people’s daily routines are changing. “Morning routines have changed significantly,” says Spotify. “Every day now looks like the weekend.”
It makes sense. As more people work and study at home, people don’t have a morning commute to spend listening to Spotify, and there’s less listening occurring through the service’s car and wearable apps. Spotify says this has had a more significant impact on podcasts than music. However, other devices appear to be picking up some of the slack. The company says that the audience listening through TVs and game consoles is up by over 50 percent.
“Morning routines have changed significantly”
Spotify admits that the pandemic has and will have a negative effect on some areas of its business, though. Although the company says these numbers have recovered in some areas, consumption and daily active users were impacted in markets like Italy and Spain which were hit hard by the pandemic early on. However, monthly active users and paid subscriber number numbers did not see a fall in areas where consumption decreased.
Spotify’s ad business has been hit harder than other areas, as economic uncertainty means companies spend less money on advertising. The company says its ad-supported revenues fell short of its forecast, and it has lowered its revenue guidance for the year as a result. Spotify also says it’s slowing down its hiring plans for the rest of the year. However, overall the company is optimistic, noting that it believes its business model is “uniquely positioned” to deal with the ongoing crisis.