theverge--2020-05-25--3D printers are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic

On March 20th , as the coronavirus situation in New York City hurtled toward full-blown crisis , Madiha Choksi was packing a taxi with two Flashforge 3D printers and as much filament as she could fit .
Choksi , a librarian specializing in research and educational technology , had received an urgent email the night before from Pierre Elias , a cardiology fellow at NYP-Columbia University Medical Center .
Elias desperately needed to produce more protective gear for hospital workers treating COVID-19 patients .
He hoped Choksi , the administrator for Columbia University ’ s 3D printing lab , might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email was very long and really concerning , ” Choksi tells The Verge .
Normally , she could help .
“ But I don ’ t have any printers , ” she remembers thinking , “ and we were already on day three or four of remote work.
” “ The email was very long and really concerning.
” Thankfully , Columbia handed over its printers .
“ Within hours , they were like , ‘ Yeah , of course , ’ ” she says .
Choksi got to work in her apartment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open-source design , from a company called Budmen Industries , and 3D printing the plastic visor that holds the shield and rests on the forehead with a piece of foam-like material in between .
She used supplies purchased from Staples to slap together about six units she then handed off to Elias a day after receiving the email from the doctor .
“ He took them straight to the hospital and tested them out , ” she says , “ and he came back and said , ‘ Can we have 1,000 more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggle to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic , both at a state and federal level .
So DIY efforts from academics , hobbyists , manufacturing experts , and professional firms have coalesced around COVID hotspots like New York City to meet the needs of health care workers and others on the front line of the response effort .
Some of these initiatives are highly organized , involving partnerships across state lines to source materials and make use of industrial-grade manufacturing facilities .
Yet almost all began in the living rooms of people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ingenuity to put together stopgap measures as existing supply lines struggled to keep up .
“ In a perfect world , we have coordination across the nation , where we have hotspots and we focus the resources there so the health care workers are protected and patients are protected .
And as that dies down , we ship what remains to the next location , ” says James Hudspeth , an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University and a COVID response lead at Boston Medical Center .
“ The shield acts as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your eyes and shouldn ’ t touch your mouth.
” That ideal world is far from reality .
Face shields , which Hudspeth says are rarely used in standard medical environments outside surgeries and very select procedures , ended up being second in demand only to face masks , which have also been in short supply .
“ One way people get infected is by touching surfaces and then touching the face or mask .
The shield acts as a reminder you shouldn ’ t touch your eyes and shouldn ’ t touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The problem is that shields are only made by a limited number of manufacturers , some domestic but many overseas .
And large manufacturers only ship units in batches based on orders from procurement offices of large medical institutions and local and state governments .
“ We have a central supply , and some of the states have the supply .
But there isn ’ t the capacity to dictate where privately produced or purchased stuff is going , ” Hudspeth says .
“ States are battling each other for these supplies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing the same thing.
” That ’ s left doctors , nurses , and health care workers across the nation scrambling to get as much PPE as they can , regardless of where it comes from .
“ States are battling each other for these supplies , and every hospital in the country is doing the same thing.
” A face shield of the DIY variety typically consists of a molded or printed plastic semi-circle visor , sometimes called a bracket , that is attached often by glue to a piece of foam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit then attaches to a long sheet of transparent plastic film that sits just above the face .
Everything is held together with a rubber band or a similar elastic device .
It ’ s a simple way to protect someone ’ s face when interacting with a potentially COVID-positive patient .
These shields can be cheaply manufactured , easily sanitized , and then reused .
They also aren ’ t as complicated or bound by regulatory restrictions as , say , respiratory face masks .
The lack of regulations surrounding face shields @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturers large and small looking for a way to pitch in .
Apple CEO Tim Cook announced in early April that his company would produce tens of millions of face shields for California health care workers , and Apple ’ s website now features a tutorial for assembling the units .
In the Pacific Northwest , Nike , which has its headquarters just outside Portland , has repurposed materials and manufacturing processes for its running shoes to produce face shields , too .
Countless other companies , from Jeff Bezos-funded rocket outfit Blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ division Verily , are putting resources toward emergency face shield production .
The efforts aren ’ t stopping at just shields but extending to face masks and even ventilators , too .
Razer , the gaming accessory maker , even built its own automated face mask production line in Singapore , equipped with vending machines for dispensing them around the city-state .
It doesn ’ t hurt that out of all the PPE in short supply during COVID-19 , face shields are among the easiest to produce — a single unit can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 3D printer or even a laser or waterjet cutter .
“ The nice thing about shields is that they ’ re easy to produce relatively quickly , ” Hudspeth says .
“ People who have larger 3D printers and a relatively basic piece of plastic that is flexible enough to bend can make a face shield.
” Nearly two months after she ’ d received that first , frantic email , Choksi and her fellow Columbia University librarians Alex Gil and Moacir P. de Sá Pereira now run a DIY volunteer effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the group has assembled more than 19,000 face shields and distributed units to over 50 institutions , including hospitals , clinics , fire departments , and other groups of first responders .
The operation now has an almost factory-like scale and sophistication .
They moved from Choksi ’ s apartment to the 92nd Street Y , a historic community center in Manhattan ’ s Upper East Side .
They have two official manufacturing partners : 3D printing design firm Tangible Creative , out of Newark , New Jersey , and Brooklyn-based 3D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the single 3D-printed visor to which the shield attaches .
After receiving the parts in large batches , Choksi has a group of 10 to 12 volunteers , mostly medical students , on four-hour shifts assembling the shields and ferrying them by taxi or car to hospitals .
Gil and de Sá Pereira , both data librarians and scholars specializing in areas like data visualization and digital mapping , have experience in rapid crisis response through their academic careers .
Now , Gil handles incoming face shield requests and spends all day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pereira is helping manage the operation ’ s resources and ensuring they ’ re using Columbia ’ s funding as efficiently as possible .
The rest of their limited free time is spent helping other groups in the US and overseas start their own DIY operations .
“ When this whole thing hit , first and foremost in most of our minds was the lack of PPE , which was pretty harrowing in those early days , ” says Jason Hill , an emergency room doctor at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pretty crazy overnight very early on where I had to intubate , ” he says , referring to the insertion of a tube into the body , “ in the middle of the night without one of the face shields .
It was early on and nobody was expecting the onslaught to be that intense at the time , and we burned through our entire stash during the day.
” Uptown at the Harlem Hospital Center , Stephen Nicholas , a doctor who came out of retirement to help treat patients during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was fast becoming a crisis of its own .
“ After the first distribution , they were all gone instantly.
” “ I can not tell you how horrible it was , ” he says of the situation in late March .
His hospital began using a special emergency code , “ 777 Gold , ” over the loudspeaker when a COVID-19 patient had entered respiratory arrest and needed staff attention immediately .
The “ gold ” was to tell hospital workers to wear appropriate PPE due to the heightened risk of infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its stash of face masks at an alarming rate .
“ There were periods every 20 minutes you would hear overhead , ‘ 777 Gold.
’ ” Nicholas , a former professor at Columbia , heard about Choksi ’ s efforts through his daughter , a medical student at the school .
Gil began helping the doctor coordinate face shield deliveries for his colleagues .
“ After the first distribution , they were all gone instantly , ” Nicholas says .
“ Second batch was 200 .
I was out of those in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 500 , and that lasted about two days.
” He says the PPE shortage is no longer as much an issue now that most workers have their own shields they can sanitize and hold onto .
Hill , the ER doctor , also found his way to Choksi ’ s group through word of mouth .
He says , as the crisis accelerated , every doctor became acutely aware that acquiring more PPE as fast as possible would be crucial to keeping health care workers safe .
COVID Maker Response is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these shields every week .
“ Every few days , I ’ ll gauge the needs for our particular ERs and ICUs with some colleges and we ’ ll swing by and get a box of 200 or so of these face shields to drop off , ” he says .
“ When I walk through the ER , the vast majority of people I see are wearing these face shields .
At this point it really feels like we have a surplus , which is a wonderful thing to feel.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have a surplus , which is a wonderful thing to feel.
” COVID Maker Response is far from the only operation like this .
Choksi and Gil tell me they ’ ve been in contact with at least three others around New York City alone , and they continue to field messages from others around the country and even overseas that are interested in doing the same .
Countless groups have also spun up elsewhere in the US , typically around schools and libraries with the space and resources to set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Washington State 3D Face Shield Hub and the Illinois PPE Network , have taken similar approaches to coordinating massive , factory-like volunteer efforts that employ individuals in their homes all the way to corporate partners and universities .
“ Part of our model is not to become the one supplier of face shields , ” says Gil .
“ The idea of this grassroots , distributed model is to help others be able to do what you ’ re doing so many more distributed teams can aggregate to some kind of impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absence of industry or city stepping in.
” One hurdle facing the PPE-producing projects is knowing when to shut them down , as more conventional manufacturing methods continue to ramp up .
Choksi and Gil say they ’ re still receiving daily requests for more face shields , and shortages will continue so long as the novel coronavirus continues to overwhelm the US health care system and its hospital and other frontline workers .
“ I think we ’ re just going to keep going until the need dies down , ” Choksi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many other efforts we ’ re hearing about , and until we stop receiving requests , our plan is to just keep at it .
Full speed ahead until the needs are met.
” For Choksi and her partners at COVID Maker Response , the willingness for her volunteers and partners to keep helping has been one of the few glimmers of light in an otherwise awful and often grim situation .
She says the maker community and 3D printing in general have shown that they can fill gaps and help vulnerable communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expertise and ingenuity .
“ I think the situation has really shown what 3D printing is capable of , which is not long-term mass production , but filling a need for very rapid production , on-demand and highly customized items , ” says Dave Veisz , MakerBot ’ s vice president of engineering , who now works closely with COVID Maker Response on the volunteer effort .
“ [ COVID-19 ] has just shown the vulnerability in the global supply chain .
The fact that these parts are needed so badly has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a lot of these parts only come from a handful of factories.
” Veisz says that under normal circumstances , you would just injection mold a face shield design and have a factory spin up to mass produce it .
“ But these things take months , ” he says .
“ It ’ s been eye-opening to the general public that 3D printing can be used as a stopgap for emergency needs like this and can be used to kickoff production for the item.
” Choksi says the novel coronavirus has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community prides itself on coming together to fight .
“ It ’ s very organized and mobilized and fast moving and constantly iterating .
If there is an emergency , a need for crisis response , there is a file out there that is open source , readily available for everyone , ” she says .
“ We ’ re just humbled and grateful to put our wits and expertise to it and just go .
”

On March 20th, as the coronavirus situation in New York City hurtled toward full-blown crisis, Madiha Choksi was packing a taxi with two Flashforge 3D printers and as much filament as she could fit.
Choksi, a librarian specializing in research and educational technology, had received an urgent email the night before from Pierre Elias, a cardiology fellow at NYP-Columbia University Medical Center. Elias desperately needed to produce more protective gear for hospital workers treating COVID-19 patients. He hoped Choksi, the administrator for Columbia University’s 3D printing lab, might be able to help.
“The email was very long and really concerning,” Choksi tells The Verge. Normally, she could help. “But I don’t have any printers,” she remembers thinking, “and we were already on day three or four of remote work.”
“The email was very long and really concerning.”
Thankfully, Columbia handed over its printers. “Within hours, they were like, ‘Yeah, of course,’” she says. Choksi got to work in her apartment producing prototype face shields by modifying an open-source design, from a company called Budmen Industries, and 3D printing the plastic visor that holds the shield and rests on the forehead with a piece of foam-like material in between. She used supplies purchased from Staples to slap together about six units she then handed off to Elias a day after receiving the email from the doctor.
“He took them straight to the hospital and tested them out,” she says, “and he came back and said, ‘Can we have 1,000 more?’”
COVID Maker Response set up its headquarters inside the historic 92nd Street Y community center, thanks to a connection Choksi established with director of operations Christopher Bynum. Photo: COVID Maker Response
The US continues to struggle to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, both at a state and federal level. So DIY efforts from academics, hobbyists, manufacturing experts, and professional firms have coalesced around COVID hotspots like New York City to meet the needs of health care workers and others on the front line of the response effort.
Some of these initiatives are highly organized, involving partnerships across state lines to source materials and make use of industrial-grade manufacturing facilities. Yet almost all began in the living rooms of people with access to a 3D printer and the ingenuity to put together stopgap measures as existing supply lines struggled to keep up.
“In a perfect world, we have coordination across the nation, where we have hotspots and we focus the resources there so the health care workers are protected and patients are protected. And as that dies down, we ship what remains to the next location,” says James Hudspeth, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University and a COVID response lead at Boston Medical Center.
“The shield acts as a reminder you shouldn’t touch your eyes and shouldn’t touch your mouth.”
That ideal world is far from reality. Face shields, which Hudspeth says are rarely used in standard medical environments outside surgeries and very select procedures, ended up being second in demand only to face masks, which have also been in short supply. “One way people get infected is by touching surfaces and then touching the face or mask. The shield acts as a reminder you shouldn’t touch your eyes and shouldn’t touch your mouth,” Hudspeth explains.
The problem is that shields are only made by a limited number of manufacturers, some domestic but many overseas. And large manufacturers only ship units in batches based on orders from procurement offices of large medical institutions and local and state governments.
“We have a central supply, and some of the states have the supply. But there isn’t the capacity to dictate where privately produced or purchased stuff is going,” Hudspeth says. “States are battling each other for these supplies, and every hospital in the country is doing the same thing.” That’s left doctors, nurses, and health care workers across the nation scrambling to get as much PPE as they can, regardless of where it comes from.
“States are battling each other for these supplies, and every hospital in the country is doing the same thing.”
A face shield of the DIY variety typically consists of a molded or printed plastic semi-circle visor, sometimes called a bracket, that is attached often by glue to a piece of foam that rests on the forehead. The unit then attaches to a long sheet of transparent plastic film that sits just above the face.
Everything is held together with a rubber band or a similar elastic device. It’s a simple way to protect someone’s face when interacting with a potentially COVID-positive patient. These shields can be cheaply manufactured, easily sanitized, and then reused. They also aren’t as complicated or bound by regulatory restrictions as, say, respiratory face masks.
The lack of regulations surrounding face shields have made them an attractive option for manufacturers large and small looking for a way to pitch in. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced in early April that his company would produce tens of millions of face shields for California health care workers, and Apple’s website now features a tutorial for assembling the units.
In the Pacific Northwest, Nike, which has its headquarters just outside Portland, has repurposed materials and manufacturing processes for its running shoes to produce face shields, too. Countless other companies, from Jeff Bezos-funded rocket outfit Blue Origin to Alphabet’s life sciences division Verily, are putting resources toward emergency face shield production.
The efforts aren’t stopping at just shields but extending to face masks and even ventilators, too. Razer, the gaming accessory maker, even built its own automated face mask production line in Singapore, equipped with vending machines for dispensing them around the city-state.
It doesn’t hurt that out of all the PPE in short supply during COVID-19, face shields are among the easiest to produce — a single unit can be constructed with basic materials by anyone with a 3D printer or even a laser or waterjet cutter. “The nice thing about shields is that they’re easy to produce relatively quickly,” Hudspeth says. “People who have larger 3D printers and a relatively basic piece of plastic that is flexible enough to bend can make a face shield.”
Nearly two months after she’d received that first, frantic email, Choksi and her fellow Columbia University librarians Alex Gil and Moacir P. de Sá Pereira now run a DIY volunteer effort called COVID Maker Response. So far, the group has assembled more than 19,000 face shields and distributed units to over 50 institutions, including hospitals, clinics, fire departments, and other groups of first responders.
The operation now has an almost factory-like scale and sophistication. They moved from Choksi’s apartment to the 92nd Street Y, a historic community center in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They have two official manufacturing partners: 3D printing design firm Tangible Creative, out of Newark, New Jersey, and Brooklyn-based 3D printer creator MakerBot.
Both firms supply the single 3D-printed visor to which the shield attaches. After receiving the parts in large batches, Choksi has a group of 10 to 12 volunteers, mostly medical students, on four-hour shifts assembling the shields and ferrying them by taxi or car to hospitals.
Photo: COVID Maker Response Image: COVID Maker Response
Gil and de Sá Pereira, both data librarians and scholars specializing in areas like data visualization and digital mapping, have experience in rapid crisis response through their academic careers. Now, Gil handles incoming face shield requests and spends all day in communication with hospitals. And de Sá Pereira is helping manage the operation’s resources and ensuring they’re using Columbia’s funding as efficiently as possible. The rest of their limited free time is spent helping other groups in the US and overseas start their own DIY operations.
“When this whole thing hit, first and foremost in most of our minds was the lack of PPE, which was pretty harrowing in those early days,” says Jason Hill, an emergency room doctor at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “In particular, I had a pretty crazy overnight very early on where I had to intubate,” he says, referring to the insertion of a tube into the body, “in the middle of the night without one of the face shields. It was early on and nobody was expecting the onslaught to be that intense at the time, and we burned through our entire stash during the day.”
Uptown at the Harlem Hospital Center, Stephen Nicholas, a doctor who came out of retirement to help treat patients during COVID-19, watched as the PPE shortage was fast becoming a crisis of its own.
“After the first distribution, they were all gone instantly.”
“I cannot tell you how horrible it was,” he says of the situation in late March. His hospital began using a special emergency code, “777 Gold,” over the loudspeaker when a COVID-19 patient had entered respiratory arrest and needed staff attention immediately. The “gold” was to tell hospital workers to wear appropriate PPE due to the heightened risk of infection, but the building was burning through its stash of face masks at an alarming rate. “There were periods every 20 minutes you would hear overhead, ‘777 Gold.’”
Nicholas, a former professor at Columbia, heard about Choksi’s efforts through his daughter, a medical student at the school. Gil began helping the doctor coordinate face shield deliveries for his colleagues. “After the first distribution, they were all gone instantly,” Nicholas says. “Second batch was 200. I was out of those in a day and a half. Next was 500, and that lasted about two days.” He says the PPE shortage is no longer as much an issue now that most workers have their own shields they can sanitize and hold onto.
Hill, the ER doctor, also found his way to Choksi’s group through word of mouth. He says, as the crisis accelerated, every doctor became acutely aware that acquiring more PPE as fast as possible would be crucial to keeping health care workers safe. COVID Maker Response is now helping supply his hospital with hundreds of these shields every week.
“Every few days, I’ll gauge the needs for our particular ERs and ICUs with some colleges and we’ll swing by and get a box of 200 or so of these face shields to drop off,” he says. “When I walk through the ER, the vast majority of people I see are wearing these face shields. At this point it really feels like we have a surplus, which is a wonderful thing to feel.”
“At this point it really feels like we have a surplus, which is a wonderful thing to feel.”
COVID Maker Response is far from the only operation like this. Choksi and Gil tell me they’ve been in contact with at least three others around New York City alone, and they continue to field messages from others around the country and even overseas that are interested in doing the same.
Countless groups have also spun up elsewhere in the US, typically around schools and libraries with the space and resources to set up these makeshift factories. Some, like the Washington State 3D Face Shield Hub and the Illinois PPE Network, have taken similar approaches to coordinating massive, factory-like volunteer efforts that employ individuals in their homes all the way to corporate partners and universities.
“Part of our model is not to become the one supplier of face shields,” says Gil. “The idea of this grassroots, distributed model is to help others be able to do what you’re doing so many more distributed teams can aggregate to some kind of impact. This is of course in the absence of industry or city stepping in.”
Dr. Stephen Nicholas with fellow doctors, nurses, and staff at Harlem Hospital wearing COVID Maker Response face shields. Photo: COVID Maker Response
One hurdle facing the PPE-producing projects is knowing when to shut them down, as more conventional manufacturing methods continue to ramp up. Choksi and Gil say they’re still receiving daily requests for more face shields, and shortages will continue so long as the novel coronavirus continues to overwhelm the US health care system and its hospital and other frontline workers.
“I think we’re just going to keep going until the need dies down,” Choksi says. “There’s so many other efforts we’re hearing about, and until we stop receiving requests, our plan is to just keep at it. Full speed ahead until the needs are met.”
For Choksi and her partners at COVID Maker Response, the willingness for her volunteers and partners to keep helping has been one of the few glimmers of light in an otherwise awful and often grim situation. She says the maker community and 3D printing in general have shown that they can fill gaps and help vulnerable communities in times of need, using their expertise and ingenuity.
From left to right, the core volunteer group has consisted of Jess Ho, Rin Allen, Elisa Mala, Joe de Jonge, Madiha Zahrah Choksi, Rajat Sethi, Matt Car, Victoria Colozzi, and Cullen O Brown. Photo: COVID Maker Response
“I think the situation has really shown what 3D printing is capable of, which is not long-term mass production, but filling a need for very rapid production, on-demand and highly customized items,” says Dave Veisz, MakerBot’s vice president of engineering, who now works closely with COVID Maker Response on the volunteer effort. “[COVID-19] has just shown the vulnerability in the global supply chain. The fact that these parts are needed so badly has been eye-opening, as well as the fact that a lot of these parts only come from a handful of factories.”
Veisz says that under normal circumstances, you would just injection mold a face shield design and have a factory spin up to mass produce it. “But these things take months,” he says. “It’s been eye-opening to the general public that 3D printing can be used as a stopgap for emergency needs like this and can be used to kickoff production for the item.”


theverge--2020-05-25--How SpaceX and NASA are launching astronauts into space during a pandemic

Ahead of this week ’ s launch of SpaceX ’ s Crew Dragon spacecraft , NASA is working to keep the enduring threat of COVID-19 at bay during the historic launch .
To protect its astronauts , ground crew , and potential visitors , NASA has adjusted their approach to this highly anticipated event .
If successful , the launch will not only break the US ’ s nine-year drought of crewed launches to the ISS , but it will also make history as the first time a private spacecraft has carried people into orbit .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stich , deputy manager of NASA ’ s Commercial Crew Program , during a press call this month .
On the ground , the agency is introducing temperature checks and physical distancing at Mission Control .
A successful launch requires dozens of people who usually work in close quarters in closed rooms at Mission Control .
For this launch , NASA is spreading them out between different rooms .
“ We need to make sure we are separating people as much as possible , ” he said .
They ’ ll disinfect rooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work stations .
“ We ’ re looking at all the things where we can practice the guidelines for social distancing , and at the same time , launch this very important mission to the International Space Station , ” he said .
“ We have other missions that need to go forward .
We don ’ t want to risk the health of the people who work at Kennedy ” Those measures are important to protect both this launch and the next set of NASA missions .
“ We have other missions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want to risk the health of the people who work at Kennedy , ” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on a press call in May .
The Mars Perseverance Rover launches in July .
Extreme caution is already being taken with the Crew Dragon ’ s astronauts .
Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have been in quarantine since May 13th .
That ’ s a normal part of the preparations for a mission — crews heading to space always quarantine for a period of time before a launch to minimize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an infectious disease of any kind into space .
As an extra step , both Behnken and Hurley will be tested for the novel coronavirus twice before they leave for the ISS .
Anyone interacting with the astronauts before the launch will wear masks and gloves and have their temperature taken .
“ We don ’ t anticipate that between now and the day of launch that there ’ s really going to be an opportunity for them to contract any virus or harmful bacteria , ” Bridenstine said .
In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NASA is also limiting the number of visitors who can come to the space center to watch the launch , Bridenstine said .
The VIP list for this particular event is very short .
They ’ re not closing dignitaries out entirely — some members of Congress and of the National Space Council will be in attendance .
They won ’ t be able to bring along staffers , though .
“ We ’ re really trying to whittle it down to what is important , ” he said .
Sadly , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past missions didn ’ t make the cut .
In 2011 , the last time astronauts launched into space from US soil , nearly 1 million people packed close together on bridges and beaches in Cape Canaveral , Florida to watch .
NASA hopes that won ’ t happen this time .
“ We ’ re asking people not to travel to the Kennedy Space Center , ” Bridenstine said .
“ We think it ’ s in the best interest of the agency and in the best interest of the nation if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ It is a shame — NASA and SpaceX have worked so hard to get to the day , and the American public has come along this long journey with us , ” said Gwynne Shotwell , president and chief operating officer of SpaceX , on a press call this month .
“ But it ’ s the right thing to do.
” NASA can only control what people do on its own property , though .
It ’ s up to the state of Florida to regulate roads and beaches — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come watch the launch , despite the risks of large gatherings .
“ We are not going to keep the great Americans that want to come watch that from coming here , ” said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey in a press conference .
“ If NASA is telling people to not come here and watch the launch , that ’ s on them .
I ’ m telling people what I believe as an American .
And so NASA has got their guidelines , and I got mine.
” “ NASA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got mine ” Ahead of the launch , businesses and restaurants are opening across the state of Florida , where nearly 50,000 cases of COVID-19 have been identified .
Despite the relaxation of stay-at-home orders in Florida and other nearby states , public health experts still recommend people avoid large groups and crowded spaces , where the disease spreads easily .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that traveling by air , car , or bus increases someone ’ s chances of contracting and spreading COVID-19 .
Even with the change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bolts of the launch will continue as planned .
Stich says teams at NASA have run simulations that include all of the extra COVID-19 precautions , and they ’ ve gone smoothly .
“ We don ’ t really see any impact how we ’ re gon na operate on launch day , ” he says .

Ahead of this week’s launch of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, NASA is working to keep the enduring threat of COVID-19 at bay during the historic launch. To protect its astronauts, ground crew, and potential visitors, NASA has adjusted their approach to this highly anticipated event. If successful, the launch will not only break the US’s nine-year drought of crewed launches to the ISS, but it will also make history as the first time a private spacecraft has carried people into orbit.
“We’re taking extra precautions,” said Steve Stich, deputy manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, during a press call this month. On the ground, the agency is introducing temperature checks and physical distancing at Mission Control.
A successful launch requires dozens of people who usually work in close quarters in closed rooms at Mission Control. For this launch, NASA is spreading them out between different rooms. “We need to make sure we are separating people as much as possible,” he said. They’ll disinfect rooms regularly and put up Plexiglas between different work stations. “We’re looking at all the things where we can practice the guidelines for social distancing, and at the same time, launch this very important mission to the International Space Station,” he said.
“We have other missions that need to go forward. We don’t want to risk the health of the people who work at Kennedy”
Those measures are important to protect both this launch and the next set of NASA missions. “We have other missions that need to go forward. We don’t want to risk the health of the people who work at Kennedy,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on a press call in May. The Mars Perseverance Rover launches in July.
Extreme caution is already being taken with the Crew Dragon’s astronauts. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have been in quarantine since May 13th. That’s a normal part of the preparations for a mission — crews heading to space always quarantine for a period of time before a launch to minimize the chance that they’re taking an infectious disease of any kind into space. As an extra step, both Behnken and Hurley will be tested for the novel coronavirus twice before they leave for the ISS. Anyone interacting with the astronauts before the launch will wear masks and gloves and have their temperature taken.
“We don’t anticipate that between now and the day of launch that there’s really going to be an opportunity for them to contract any virus or harmful bacteria,” Bridenstine said.
In addition to protecting the astronauts and ground crew, NASA is also limiting the number of visitors who can come to the space center to watch the launch, Bridenstine said. The VIP list for this particular event is very short. They’re not closing dignitaries out entirely — some members of Congress and of the National Space Council will be in attendance. They won’t be able to bring along staffers, though. “We’re really trying to whittle it down to what is important,” he said.
Sadly, the cheering crowds that were a feature of past missions didn’t make the cut. In 2011, the last time astronauts launched into space from US soil, nearly 1 million people packed close together on bridges and beaches in Cape Canaveral, Florida to watch. NASA hopes that won’t happen this time. “We’re asking people not to travel to the Kennedy Space Center,” Bridenstine said. “We think it’s in the best interest of the agency and in the best interest of the nation if people join us by watching from home.”
“It is a shame — NASA and SpaceX have worked so hard to get to the day, and the American public has come along this long journey with us,” said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX, on a press call this month. “But it’s the right thing to do.”
NASA can only control what people do on its own property, though. It’s up to the state of Florida to regulate roads and beaches — and the county sheriff is encouraging people to come watch the launch, despite the risks of large gatherings.
“We are not going to keep the great Americans that want to come watch that from coming here,” said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey in a press conference. “If NASA is telling people to not come here and watch the launch, that’s on them. I’m telling people what I believe as an American. And so NASA has got their guidelines, and I got mine.”
“NASA has got their guidelines, and I got mine”
Ahead of the launch, businesses and restaurants are opening across the state of Florida, where nearly 50,000 cases of COVID-19 have been identified. Despite the relaxation of stay-at-home orders in Florida and other nearby states, public health experts still recommend people avoid large groups and crowded spaces, where the disease spreads easily. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that traveling by air, car, or bus increases someone’s chances of contracting and spreading COVID-19.
Even with the change in audience and spectacle, the nuts and bolts of the launch will continue as planned. Stich says teams at NASA have run simulations that include all of the extra COVID-19 precautions, and they’ve gone smoothly. “We don’t really see any impact how we’re gonna operate on launch day,” he says.


theverge--2020-05-26--Carqon electric cargo bike review: urban transport, solved

If you still think cars , even electric cars , are the future of urban transportation , the Carqon electric cargo bike is here to convince you otherwise .
Cargo bikes are a way of life for many European families .
For a decade , I bicycled my three kids everywhere in Amsterdam using a traditional “ bakfiets.
” My three-speed Dutch cargo bike with its large wooden box attached low to the elongated frame was something of a spectacle to tourists but very much the norm for cities that recognize the primacy of people over cars .
The problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bulk , making them difficult to maneuver when fully loaded .
Adding an electric motor completely transforms the experience , making even the daintiest of parents feel superhuman .
I just spent a week riding Carqon ’ s first production bicycle here in Amsterdam .
It ’ s an 88-pound ( 40 kg ) electric cargo bike designed to transport an adult and up to four kids a distance of up 75 miles ( 120 km ) before needing a recharge .
I came away a believer in the transformative power of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diesel-gulping delivery vans and family cars in the world ’ s cities .
While helping me review the Carqon , I also witnessed owners of the extremely popular Urban Arrow electric cargo bike come to regret their purchases .
When the Carqon goes on sale in June for roughly the same price as the Urban Arrow , I fully expect parental circles to split into Carqon versus UA cliques with a ferocity not seen since Mean Girls .
Carqon ’ s first incarnation of the electric cargo bike focuses on families , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdowns .
Mayors across the globe are urging residents to avoid public transportation to prevent a resurgence of infections .
But they ’ re also limiting travel by car , converting miles of roads into protected bike lanes and pedestrian zones in order to encourage healthier modes of transport that will help maintain air quality advances made during the pandemic .
An electric cargo bike allows families to ditch both subways and cars , while still getting kids to school , parents to work , and all the errands run .
I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cargo bike in cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen .
There is simply no better way to move precious cargo between points A and B .
For years , I used my thigh-powered cargo bike for at least 95 percent of all my transportation needs , occasionally supplementing the bike with trains , busses , or car hires as needed .
Not once did I feel the need to own a car .
Adding an electric motor takes that hauling convenience to a whole new level while extending the range of what ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all outgrown my cargo bike , so I enlisted three sets of new parents to help me with this review .
Andre , Lisa , and Linda each own an electric cargo bike made by Urban Arrow , by far the most popular brand of electric cargo bikes used by parents in Amsterdam .
Carqon , like Urban Arrow , is a bicycle brand born in the Netherlands and purchased by a large Dutch transportation conglomerate .
Carqon is owned by the Accell Group , Urban Arrow by Pon Holdings .
These are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Chinese parts and sold on Indiegogo .
Carqon first made a splash in the bike industry with a well-received three-wheeled cargo bike way back in 2016 , but it never made it beyond the concept phase .
The Carqon I reviewed is a near-final version of the two-wheeled aluminum cargo bike that ’ s available to purchase on June 2nd in the Netherlands , Germany , Belgium , France , and Denmark .
Sales will be made through its network of dealers , but it can also be purchased online .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to your home .
Dealers are responsible for the final check before handing the bike over to new owners and for dealing with any service and warranty issues .
That makes sense for a bike used to transport your family that ’ s priced between €4,999 ( 400-watt battery , with 10-speed derailleur ) to €6,499 ( dual 500-watt batteries , gear hub , and belt drive ) .
My review bike is priced at €5,299 ( about $ 5,800 ) before any state subsidies are subtracted .
( More on that later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a few standout features — three , in fact .
Foremost is the child door .
I know , it ’ s just a door .
But it ’ s a remarkable addition , according to both the kids and parents who helped me test .
Kids love the door because it gives them a sense of independence , allowing them to easily climb into the box and buckle themselves up ( a child safety lock can be engaged if the parent desires ) .
The kids who helped me test the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , absolutely loved it .
For parents , there ’ s no need to lift a child into place .
The lower point of entry also creates less risk of the bike toppling over as the children enter the Carqon compared to the Urban Arrow .
Carqon kids aren ’ t at risk of falls either because they don ’ t have to climb up and over the dirty sides to enter the box .
In theory , the door does present a pinching hazard , I guess .
But every door is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no child was pinched during testing .
The second standout feature is the HDPE plastic box .
All three parents who rode Urban Arrows loved that their youngest children sat deeply in the box , as they felt it offered more protection to the head , neck , and shoulders in case the bike tipped over .
The higher lip was also nice for their youngins to sleep against , instead of being subjected to that limp-headed rag-doll effect every parent dreads .
The box is also wide like cargo bikes from sister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sit on the bench side by side more comfortably than the UA .
The third standout feature is the option for a second battery .
That ’ s an extra 45 to 60 km of range , according to Carqon , depending on how you ride .
( I ’ d get closer to 45km per battery . )
The Carqon is built around a Bosch Performance CX Gen 4 Cargo line mid-drive motor and choice of either dual 400Wh or 500Wh batteries .
That range , which I couldn ’ t test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bosch motor and battery combinations .
There was plenty more to like as well .
My test bike provided ample power to drive an adult and three kids up the biggest hill I could find in Amsterdam ( which isn ’ t very big ) at a top European speed of 25 km/h ( or 16 mph , which isn ’ t very fast ) , although Lisa and Linda found the motor whine in the lower gears to be annoying ( as did I ) .
My review bike was also fitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gear hub , which shifted in one continuous motion .
( A 10-speed derailleur is also available . )
No complaints there .
The Carqon also comes with a double-cable steering system that feels more responsive than the Urban Arrow ’ s clunky steering rod assembly , at both high and low speeds .
The Carqon also has a very tight turning radius that helps you maneuver the 2.6-meter-long ( 8 feet , six inches ) bike .
All three parents preferred the wider handlebars of the Carqon , which they said gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the steering .
One parent , Andre , who rides fast motorbikes , was a big fan of the adjustable front suspension .
You can deliver kids to kindergarten at full speed over the cobblestones , he told me , without them getting beat up .
He was also a fan of the Tektro Dorado HD-E730 hydraulic disc brakes , calling them “ rock solid ” and stable when braking at top speed .
Andre also said that the Carqon felt reassuringly rigid , without flexing during high-speed cornering even when going over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though .
The biggest criticism was aimed at the center stand on my near-final version of the bike .
First , it ’ s harder to pull the Carqon onto the stand than the Urban Arrow , especially if there are kids in the box .
Carqon tells me that they ’ re experimenting with different springs for the production run “ with positive results.
” The stand also pinched my toe once as I rolled the bike back on top of it .
That ’ s due to a short nub that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leverage the bike into place .
I inadvertently stepped on the piece of metal below that , causing the nub to fold back and trap my toe between it and the pavement .
Fortunately , the bike was empty — it could have been very painful had the 88-pound ( 40 kg ) bike been loaded with kids or equipment .
Most troubling perhaps is that both Andre and myself managed to scrape the stand on the ground when cornering under certain conditions .
It happened to me when turning from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as is common when turning to cross one of Amsterdam ’ s many canals .
I wasn ’ t being aggressive at all .
It didn ’ t cause any dangerous control issues , but it was enough to startle both my daughter and myself .
I ’ m told that a redesigned stand is coming , but it won ’ t be ready until 2021 .
So yeah , the stand is problematic in practice and in comparison to the Urban Arrow which engages with only minimal effort .
There were other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is mostly silent outside of the Bosch motor whir when riding on paved bike paths .
Riding on bricked streets or cobblestones causes the door to shake , however .
I ’ m told that the production bikes will have tighter tolerances that should reduce door rattle .
I hope so because persistent bike rattles are super annoying for the rider and those around them .
Andre wasn ’ t happy with the child restraints on the bench seat that require two hands to close , as well as a cooperative child willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both immediately voiced concern with the higher top tube on the Carqon compared to the Urban Arrow , which could interfere with skirts and dresses , they said .
The Carqon ’ s wide box also takes some getting used to , especially when navigating stopped traffic .
Urban Arrows use slimmer boxes , allowing them to squeeze through smaller gaps created by taxis , trams , and busses in snarled traffic .
I also noticed that the wrap used to finish the box can be easily scratched and torn .
After just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had four visible tears in the wrap .
Despite these faults , both Linda and Lisa thought the Carqon was superior to their Urban Arrows .
Andre had an even stronger reaction .
“ Would I trade in my Urban Arrow for the Carqon ?
Yes , ” he said , “ I would without hesitation !
” Carqon might be a newcomer , but established electric cargo bike brands like Riese & Müller , Douze Cycles , Bullitt , and Urban Arrow should take notice .
And this is only its first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its cargo bike platform , with plans to launch a Carqon Flatbed and specific cargo bike boxes for businesses by the end of this year .
Demand for last-mile delivery services will grow by 78 percent as we near 2030 , requiring a 36 percent increase in delivery trucks , according to an e-commerce report published by the European Environment Agency .
That means a shit-ton of extra CO2 emissions pumped into the air , and another 11 minutes tacked on to the average urban commute , according to the agency .
Cargo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nightmare scenario , moving an estimated 25 percent of all goods or up to 50 percent of light goods in European cities .
Other research suggests that cargo bikes can replace vans in 32 percent of all delivery trips and in 50 percent of service trips .
Such optimism has led one group of experts to predict that cargo bikes could be sold at a rate of 2 million per year by 2030 .
And that was all before cities began rethinking transportation modes following the COVID-19 pandemic .
The pandemic has created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cargo bikes : spiking demand for e-commerce deliveries , families seeking healthy modes of tansporation , and cities building more bike lanes to support social distancing efforts and the EU zero emissions and carbon neutrality strategy .
It ’ s no wonder electric cargo bikes are such an intense area of interest right now .
Electric cargo bikes are expensive , to be sure .
Thankfully , some European countries are stepping in with subsidies to help offset those costs , as many have done in the past to promote the adoption of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carqon to be launching its new electric cargo bike in Europe , and what luck for urban families who now have another reason to sell that car .
Vox Media has affiliate partnerships .
These do not influence editorial content , though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links .
For more information , see

If you still think cars, even electric cars, are the future of urban transportation, the Carqon electric cargo bike is here to convince you otherwise.
Cargo bikes are a way of life for many European families. For a decade, I bicycled my three kids everywhere in Amsterdam using a traditional “bakfiets.” My three-speed Dutch cargo bike with its large wooden box attached low to the elongated frame was something of a spectacle to tourists but very much the norm for cities that recognize the primacy of people over cars. The problem with cargo bikes has always been weight and bulk, making them difficult to maneuver when fully loaded. Adding an electric motor completely transforms the experience, making even the daintiest of parents feel superhuman.
I just spent a week riding Carqon’s first production bicycle here in Amsterdam. It’s an 88-pound (40 kg) electric cargo bike designed to transport an adult and up to four kids a distance of up 75 miles (120 km) before needing a recharge. I came away a believer in the transformative power of the electric cargo bike to replace both diesel-gulping delivery vans and family cars in the world’s cities.
While helping me review the Carqon, I also witnessed owners of the extremely popular Urban Arrow electric cargo bike come to regret their purchases. When the Carqon goes on sale in June for roughly the same price as the Urban Arrow, I fully expect parental circles to split into Carqon versus UA cliques with a ferocity not seen since Mean Girls.
8 Verge Score Carqon Cargo Bike $ 5448 The Good A door loved by both parents and kids
Option for two batteries for a range up to 120 km / 75 miles
Deep, wide box for added safety and comfort
Room for up to four kids The Bad Expensive
Occasional door rattle
Poor center stand design
Finish on the box is prone to scratching and tears $5448 at Carqon How we rate and review products
Carqon’s first incarnation of the electric cargo bike focuses on families, just as cities begin to emerge from COVID-19 lockdowns. Mayors across the globe are urging residents to avoid public transportation to prevent a resurgence of infections. But they’re also limiting travel by car, converting miles of roads into protected bike lanes and pedestrian zones in order to encourage healthier modes of transport that will help maintain air quality advances made during the pandemic. An electric cargo bike allows families to ditch both subways and cars, while still getting kids to school, parents to work, and all the errands run.
I can’t overstate the convenience of a cargo bike
I can’t overstate the convenience of a cargo bike in cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen. There is simply no better way to move precious cargo between points A and B. For years, I used my thigh-powered cargo bike for at least 95 percent of all my transportation needs, occasionally supplementing the bike with trains, busses, or car hires as needed. Not once did I feel the need to own a car. Adding an electric motor takes that hauling convenience to a whole new level while extending the range of what’s considered easily bikeable.
My kids have all outgrown my cargo bike, so I enlisted three sets of new parents to help me with this review. Andre, Lisa, and Linda each own an electric cargo bike made by Urban Arrow, by far the most popular brand of electric cargo bikes used by parents in Amsterdam.
Carqon, like Urban Arrow, is a bicycle brand born in the Netherlands and purchased by a large Dutch transportation conglomerate. Carqon is owned by the Accell Group, Urban Arrow by Pon Holdings. These are not white-label bikes assembled from a catalog of Chinese parts and sold on Indiegogo.
Carqon first made a splash in the bike industry with a well-received three-wheeled cargo bike way back in 2016, but it never made it beyond the concept phase. The Carqon I reviewed is a near-final version of the two-wheeled aluminum cargo bike that’s available to purchase on June 2nd in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, and Denmark. Sales will be made through its network of dealers, but it can also be purchased online. It just won’t be delivered directly to your home. Dealers are responsible for the final check before handing the bike over to new owners and for dealing with any service and warranty issues. That makes sense for a bike used to transport your family that’s priced between €4,999 (400Wh battery, with 10-speed derailleur) to €6,499 (dual 500Wh batteries, gear hub, and belt drive). My review bike is priced at €5,299 (about $5,800) before any state subsidies are subtracted. (More on that later.)
Carqon Cargo Bike Specs: Motor: Bosch Performance CX mid-drive Gen 4 Cargo Line
Battery: Removable (and lockable) Bosch PowerPack Performance Frame 400Wh or 500Wh, with dual battery option
Hub configuration: Enviolo Stepless Gear Hub; Gates Belt drive; Bosch Intuvia display
Derailleur configuration: Deore XT T80000-SGS 10SP Black; KMC chain drive; Bosch Purion display
Brakes: Tektro Dorado HD-E730 — 4 Piston hydraulic disc brakes
Lighting: Front Spanninga Axendo 40; glowing front Carqon logo on the box (not working on my prototype); Rear Spanninga O-guard-XE
Suspension: Adjustable Suntour SF20-MOBIE-A32 front fork
Wheels: Rear 27.5-inch with Schwalbe Super Motor-X 62-584 tires, front 20-inch with Schwalbe Super Moto-X 62-406 tires
Riders: 160cm to 205cm (5 feet 2 inch to 6 feet 9 inches) tall, and up to 100 kg (220 pounds)
Occupants: Bike is designed to transport up to four children; three in the box (two on the bench seat, and one in a Maxi-Cosi mounted inside), a fourth on the optional rear carrier with suitable child seat.
Safety belts: two three-point belts with shoulder pads on bench seat
Adjustable Velo saddle and Satori Falconhandlebars for a quick handoff to your partner
Double cable steering system, not a steering bar
Lock: Integrated ABUS Shield 6560L
Measurements: 260 x 75 x 111 cm (102.3 x 29.5 x 43.7 inches), 40 kg (88 pounds)
Colors: Frame in white or black, combined with white, black, grey, or red secondary colors
Bell: yes, a tiny one that does the job
Accessories: rain tent to keep you and the kids dry while riding (€199), a bike cover to keep the poop off (€139), memory foam seat cushion for bench seat (€89). box cover (€89), Maxi-Cosi carrier that fits inside the box (€149), a toddler seat (€89), and a and a rear carrier that supports up to 30kg (€89).
The Carqon electric cargo bike has a few standout features — three, in fact. Foremost is the child door. I know, it’s just a door. But it’s a remarkable addition, according to both the kids and parents who helped me test. Kids love the door because it gives them a sense of independence, allowing them to easily climb into the box and buckle themselves up (a child safety lock can be engaged if the parent desires). The kids who helped me test the door, aged from two to 11, absolutely loved it. For parents, there’s no need to lift a child into place. The lower point of entry also creates less risk of the bike toppling over as the children enter the Carqon compared to the Urban Arrow. Carqon kids aren’t at risk of falls either because they don’t have to climb up and over the dirty sides to enter the box.
In theory, the door does present a pinching hazard, I guess. But every door is a risk to little fingers, and no child was pinched during testing.
The second standout feature is the HDPE plastic box. All three parents who rode Urban Arrows loved that their youngest children sat deeply in the box, as they felt it offered more protection to the head, neck, and shoulders in case the bike tipped over. The higher lip was also nice for their youngins to sleep against, instead of being subjected to that limp-headed rag-doll effect every parent dreads. The box is also wide like cargo bikes from sister company Babboe, allowing two kids to sit on the bench side by side more comfortably than the UA.
The third standout feature is the option for a second battery. That’s an extra 45 to 60 km of range, according to Carqon, depending on how you ride. (I’d get closer to 45km per battery.) The Carqon is built around a Bosch Performance CX Gen 4 Cargo line mid-drive motor and choice of either dual 400Wh or 500Wh batteries. That range, which I couldn’t test, sounds about right for these ubiquitous Bosch motor and battery combinations.
There was plenty more to like as well. My test bike provided ample power to drive an adult and three kids up the biggest hill I could find in Amsterdam (which isn’t very big) at a top European speed of 25 km/h (or 16 mph, which isn’t very fast), although Lisa and Linda found the motor whine in the lower gears to be annoying (as did I). My review bike was also fitted with a Gates belt drive and Enviolo gear hub, which shifted in one continuous motion. (A 10-speed derailleur is also available.) No complaints there.
The Carqon also comes with a double-cable steering system that feels more responsive than the Urban Arrow’s clunky steering rod assembly, at both high and low speeds. The Carqon also has a very tight turning radius that helps you maneuver the 2.6-meter-long (8 feet, six inches) bike. All three parents preferred the wider handlebars of the Carqon, which they said gave them a greater sense of control over the steering.
One parent, Andre, who rides fast motorbikes, was a big fan of the adjustable front suspension. You can deliver kids to kindergarten at full speed over the cobblestones, he told me, without them getting beat up. He was also a fan of the Tektro Dorado HD-E730 hydraulic disc brakes, calling them “rock solid” and stable when braking at top speed. Andre also said that the Carqon felt reassuringly rigid, without flexing during high-speed cornering even when going over bumps.
Urban Arrow on the left, Carqon on the right.
There were some complaints, though.
The biggest criticism was aimed at the center stand on my near-final version of the bike. First, it’s harder to pull the Carqon onto the stand than the Urban Arrow, especially if there are kids in the box. Carqon tells me that they’re experimenting with different springs for the production run “with positive results.”
Just enough room to pinch a toe.
The stand also pinched my toe once as I rolled the bike back on top of it. That’s due to a short nub that you’re meant to step on to leverage the bike into place. I inadvertently stepped on the piece of metal below that, causing the nub to fold back and trap my toe between it and the pavement. Fortunately, the bike was empty — it could have been very painful had the 88-pound (40 kg) bike been loaded with kids or equipment.
Most troubling perhaps is that both Andre and myself managed to scrape the stand on the ground when cornering under certain conditions. It happened to me when turning from a flat street to an uphill one, as is common when turning to cross one of Amsterdam’s many canals. I wasn’t being aggressive at all. It didn’t cause any dangerous control issues, but it was enough to startle both my daughter and myself. I’m told that a redesigned stand is coming, but it won’t be ready until 2021.
So yeah, the stand is problematic in practice and in comparison to the Urban Arrow which engages with only minimal effort. There were other minor issues as well.
The Carqon is mostly silent outside of the Bosch motor whir when riding on paved bike paths. Riding on bricked streets or cobblestones causes the door to shake, however. I’m told that the production bikes will have tighter tolerances that should reduce door rattle. I hope so because persistent bike rattles are super annoying for the rider and those around them.
Andre wasn’t happy with the child restraints on the bench seat that require two hands to close, as well as a cooperative child willing to sit still. Lisa and Linda both immediately voiced concern with the higher top tube on the Carqon compared to the Urban Arrow, which could interfere with skirts and dresses, they said.
The Carqon’s wide box also takes some getting used to, especially when navigating stopped traffic. Urban Arrows use slimmer boxes, allowing them to squeeze through smaller gaps created by taxis, trams, and busses in snarled traffic. I also noticed that the wrap used to finish the box can be easily scratched and torn. After just a week of riding, I already had four visible tears in the wrap.
Despite these faults, both Linda and Lisa thought the Carqon was superior to their Urban Arrows. Andre had an even stronger reaction. “Would I trade in my Urban Arrow for the Carqon? Yes,” he said, “I would without hesitation!”
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Carqon might be a newcomer, but established electric cargo bike brands like Riese & Müller, Douze Cycles, Bullitt, and Urban Arrow should take notice. And this is only its first attempt. Carqon is already building out its cargo bike platform, with plans to launch a Carqon Flatbed and specific cargo bike boxes for businesses by the end of this year.
Demand for last-mile delivery services will grow by 78 percent as we near 2030, requiring a 36 percent increase in delivery trucks, according to an e-commerce report published by the European Environment Agency. That means a shit-ton of extra CO2 emissions pumped into the air, and another 11 minutes tacked on to the average urban commute, according to the agency. Cargo bikes have the potential to avert that nightmare scenario, moving an estimated 25 percent of all goods or up to 50 percent of light goods in European cities. Other research suggests that cargo bikes can replace vans in 32 percent of all delivery trips and in 50 percent of service trips. Such optimism has led one group of experts to predict that cargo bikes could be sold at a rate of 2 million per year by 2030. And that was all before cities began rethinking transportation modes following the COVID-19 pandemic.
A perfect storm of opportunity for electric cargo bikes
The pandemic has created the perfect storm of opportunity for electric cargo bikes: spiking demand for e-commerce deliveries, families seeking healthy modes of transportation, and cities building more bike lanes to support social distancing efforts and the EU zero emissions and carbon neutrality strategy. It’s no wonder electric cargo bikes are such an intense area of interest right now.
Electric cargo bikes are expensive, to be sure. Thankfully, some European countries are stepping in with subsidies to help offset those costs, as many have done in the past to promote the adoption of electric cars.
What fortuitous timing for Carqon to be launching its new electric cargo bike in Europe, and what luck for urban families who now have another reason to sell that car.


theverge--2020-05-26--Google tests voice matching to secure Google Assistant purchases

Google Assistant ’ s Voice Match feature can now secure purchases made through its voice assistant as part of a limited pilot program .
A spokesperson from the company confirmed to Android Police that the functionality is new , and is designed to help secure purchases made on smart speakers and smart displays .
At the moment , it ’ s restricted to in-app digital purchases through Google Play , as well as restaurant orders .
When we followed the instructions shown on Google ’ s support page to enable the feature we only saw the option to enable the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlock security methods .
Other users have reported that they were able to see the Voice Match menu option , but that the software froze when they tried to enable it .
Screenshots posted by Android Police show the setup process for the feature .
“ Use your voice to verify it ’ s you when making a purchase with your Assistant ” the software reads .
It also warns that the feature ’ s security may not be perfect , noting that “ someone with a similar voice or recording may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re logged into.
” Although it may not be the most secure method , using your voice as security has the potential to be a lot more seamless than using your phone to respond to a fingerprint or face unlock prompt .
It could also be more convenient than Alexa ’ s existing security method , which allows you to use a PIN to protect purchases made using your voice .
Voice Match is a Google Assistant feature that allows the assistant to tell the difference between who ’ s addressing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google updated the Voice Match training process to allow it to distinguish between people with “ significantly higher accuracy.
” However , there are reportedly still limits on how much money you can spend using just your voice as security , Google confirmed to Android Police .
Considering Google I/O 2020 developer conference had been scheduled to take place earlier this month , there ’ s speculation that the company had hoped to debut it there .
Google gave no indication about when voice match confirmed purchases might see a wider release .

Google Assistant’s Voice Match feature can now secure purchases made through its voice assistant as part of a limited pilot program. A spokesperson from the company confirmed to Android Police that the functionality is new, and is designed to help secure purchases made on smart speakers and smart displays. At the moment, it’s restricted to in-app digital purchases through Google Play, as well as restaurant orders.
When we followed the instructions shown on Google’s support page to enable the feature we only saw the option to enable the assistant’s existing fingerprint or face unlock security methods. Other users have reported that they were able to see the Voice Match menu option, but that the software froze when they tried to enable it.
When setting up the feature, Google warns that someone with a similar voice to you could confirm purchases on your device. Image: Android Police
Screenshots posted by Android Police show the setup process for the feature. “Use your voice to verify it’s you when making a purchase with your Assistant” the software reads. It also warns that the feature’s security may not be perfect, noting that “someone with a similar voice or recording may be able to confirm purchases on devices you’re logged into.”
Although it may not be the most secure method, using your voice as security has the potential to be a lot more seamless than using your phone to respond to a fingerprint or face unlock prompt. It could also be more convenient than Alexa’s existing security method, which allows you to use a PIN to protect purchases made using your voice.
Voice Match is a Google Assistant feature that allows the assistant to tell the difference between who’s addressing it. Last month, 9to5Google reported that Google updated the Voice Match training process to allow it to distinguish between people with “significantly higher accuracy.” However, there are reportedly still limits on how much money you can spend using just your voice as security, Google confirmed to Android Police.


theverge--2020-05-26--Realme announces €499 Europe flagship with periscope zoom and 120Hz screen

Realme has a new high-end phone , and for the first time ever the brand is bringing it to Europe before its usual stomping ground of India .
The Realme X3 Superzoom is launching in Spain and the UK first , as are more of the company ’ s new products including the Realme Watch and the Realme Band .
As you ’ d expect from the name , the X3 Superzoom ’ s key feature is a periscope zoom lens , a feature that ’ s so far only featured on expensive flagship devices like the Oppo Find X2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This lens is paired with an 8-megapixel sensor and offers 5x magnification over the primary 64-megapixel camera ; the quad-camera array is filled out by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro .
The X3 Superzoom has a 6.6-inch 1080p screen with a 120Hz refresh rate .
There ’ s a cutout for a 32-megapixel selfie camera and an 8-megapixel ultrawide .
This phone uses an LCD panel , not an OLED , which perhaps explains the slightly larger than usual chin at the bottom edge .
That ’ ll also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fingerprint sensor is embedded in the power button on the side , rather than the display panel .
The processor is a Snapdragon 855+ , which was the last flagship-class chip Qualcomm made before it started forcing everyone to include 5G modems alongside the 865 .
There ’ s a 4,200mAh battery that charges at 30W over USB-C .
The speakers and haptics are pretty good , and Realme is claiming “ three waterproof layers ” in the phone ’ s chassis — there ’ s no formal IP rating , though .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ like an unusual mix of useful specs and not-quite-flagship-class design .
If you care about chin sizes and 5G , look elsewhere .
But the Snapdragon 855+ is still a solid chip , 120Hz is a big selling point even for an LCD , and this is the cheapest phone with a periscope telephoto lens by some distance .
It ’ s an intriguing entry into the European marketplace .
In Europe , the Realme X3 Superzoom will be sold in a single configuration with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or £469 ( $ 575 ) in the UK .
White and blue colorways are available .
Preorders start today at realme.com and various retail channels , with sales set to begin on June 4th .

Realme has a new high-end phone, and for the first time ever the brand is bringing it to Europe before its usual stomping ground of India. The Realme X3 Superzoom is launching in Spain and the UK first, as are more of the company’s new products including the Realme Watch and the Realme Band.
As you’d expect from the name, the X3 Superzoom’s key feature is a periscope zoom lens, a feature that’s so far only featured on expensive flagship devices like the Oppo Find X2 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. This lens is paired with an 8-megapixel sensor and offers 5x magnification over the primary 64-megapixel camera; the quad-camera array is filled out by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro.
The X3 Superzoom has a 6.6-inch 1080p screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. There’s a cutout for a 32-megapixel selfie camera and an 8-megapixel ultrawide. This phone uses an LCD panel, not an OLED, which perhaps explains the slightly larger than usual chin at the bottom edge. That’ll also be the reason why this phone’s fingerprint sensor is embedded in the power button on the side, rather than the display panel.
The processor is a Snapdragon 855+, which was the last flagship-class chip Qualcomm made before it started forcing everyone to include 5G modems alongside the 865. There’s a 4,200mAh battery that charges at 30W over USB-C. The speakers and haptics are pretty good, and Realme is claiming “three waterproof layers” in the phone’s chassis — there’s no formal IP rating, though.
Overall, the Realme X3 Superzoom looks like an unusual mix of useful specs and not-quite-flagship-class design. If you care about chin sizes and 5G, look elsewhere. But the Snapdragon 855+ is still a solid chip, 120Hz is a big selling point even for an LCD, and this is the cheapest phone with a periscope telephoto lens by some distance. It’s an intriguing entry into the European marketplace.


theverge--2020-05-26--HTC’s former CEO is making a risky bet on a new VR headset and virtual world

XRSpace , a company led by former HTC head Peter Chou , plans to launch a new virtual reality headset later this year .
The headset is dubbed the Mova , and it ’ s supposed to ship in the third quarter of 2020 for $ 599 .
Its selling points include 5G support , a hand tracking interface , and an expansive virtual world called Manova .
But it sharply bucks the trend of cheaper , more interoperable VR platforms — opting for a specialized system at a fairly high price .
The Mova is a self-contained headset that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 845 processor .
It looks similar to the Oculus Quest or the business-oriented HTC Vive Focus , although it ’ s slicker than either of them and gives users a choice of white or bright orange .
It uses two cameras to track users ’ movement around a room , and its default control system is hand tracking , a feature that ’ s still relatively rare in major VR headsets , although it was just officially added to the Oculus Quest this month .
Beyond that , the Mova specs we got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement are extremely vague .
Manova , meanwhile , looks sort of like Second Life crossed with one of Facebook ’ s social VR experiments .
According to XRSpace , it will contain a variety of public and private locations , including individual “ home ” hangout areas or viewing party spaces , neighborhood-like areas like a “ city center ” where people can meet up with friends , and a place called MagicLohas that will include fitness classes and other healthy activities .
There are also links to third-party games and apps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal : XRSpace ’ s world is only available through its headset , and the headset won ’ t support other VR storefronts .
XRSpace is also supposed to have its own accessory ecosystem , including optional hand controllers and tracking sensors , which are described as much smaller versions of HTC ’ s Vive Tracker .
The Mova headset and its world are a package deal I haven ’ t seen either product in action , so it ’ s possible XRSpace will deliver on its promises .
That said , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company and anybody who buys the headset , even making the huge assumption that its hardware is on par with existing devices like the Quest .
VR has been converging on a model with lots of crossover between software platforms and headsets .
HTC ’ s Vive Cosmos encourages owners to use Valve ’ s SteamVR in addition to the HTC Viveport store .
The standalone Oculus Quest can turn into a PC-tethered headset , while SteamVR supports nearly any wired headset .
VR is a small market , and the more content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more reason there is to buy it .
Meanwhile , many companies have failed to launch Manova-like virtual worlds , including Second Life operator Linden Lab with Sansar and Linden Lab founder Philip Rosedale with the largely shuttered High Fidelity .
Chou believes Manova can succeed where Sansar and High Fidelity failed because of its “ fine-tuned ” nature .
“ I think the difference is they designed those things based on the PC first and then they tried to put it on VR , ” he says .
“ They don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they don ’ t have a holistic consideration of the mass-market consumer using it.
” But that ’ s still an iffy bet , especially for a device that costs far more than the highly capable $ 399 Oculus Quest .
It ’ s not clear how much of a benefit 5G offers The third-party app partnerships aren ’ t that exciting so far , either .
It ’ s a short list that includes apps like Getty Images ’ VR viewer alongside games like Angry Birds VR : Isle of Pigs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Deutsche Telecom and Taiwan ’ s Chunghwa Telecom , which could help subsidize the cost for users .
That said , it ’ s not clear how useful a 5G cellular connection will be , since VR headsets are overwhelmingly used in homes or other indoor spaces with Wi-Fi .
Depending on the specifics of its headset , one of the Mova ’ s biggest benefits may simply be availability .
XRSpace apparently delayed the launch two months because of the coronavirus pandemic , but Chou says mass production started this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Launches are supposed to follow across Europe , China , and the United States .
The Oculus Quest is still only sporadically available , so the Mova launch actually happens as planned , it wouldn ’ t be impossible for XRSpace to find a space in the market — but only with more evidence of good hardware and a software ecosystem .

XRSpace, a company led by former HTC head Peter Chou, plans to launch a new virtual reality headset later this year. The headset is dubbed the Mova, and it’s supposed to ship in the third quarter of 2020 for $599. Its selling points include 5G support, a hand tracking interface, and an expansive virtual world called Manova. But it sharply bucks the trend of cheaper, more interoperable VR platforms — opting for a specialized system at a fairly high price.
The Mova is a self-contained headset that’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. It looks similar to the Oculus Quest or the business-oriented HTC Vive Focus, although it’s slicker than either of them and gives users a choice of white or bright orange. It uses two cameras to track users’ movement around a room, and its default control system is hand tracking, a feature that’s still relatively rare in major VR headsets, although it was just officially added to the Oculus Quest this month. Beyond that, the Mova specs we got in advance of today’s official announcement are extremely vague.
XRSpace
Manova, meanwhile, looks sort of like Second Life crossed with one of Facebook’s social VR experiments. According to XRSpace, it will contain a variety of public and private locations, including individual “home” hangout areas or viewing party spaces, neighborhood-like areas like a “city center” where people can meet up with friends, and a place called MagicLohas that will include fitness classes and other healthy activities. There are also links to third-party games and apps.
Mova and Manova are a package deal: XRSpace’s world is only available through its headset, and the headset won’t support other VR storefronts. XRSpace is also supposed to have its own accessory ecosystem, including optional hand controllers and tracking sensors, which are described as much smaller versions of HTC’s Vive Tracker.
The Mova headset and its world are a package deal
I haven’t seen either product in action, so it’s possible XRSpace will deliver on its promises. That said, this seems like a significant risk for the company and anybody who buys the headset, even making the huge assumption that its hardware is on par with existing devices like the Quest.
VR has been converging on a model with lots of crossover between software platforms and headsets. HTC’s Vive Cosmos encourages owners to use Valve’s SteamVR in addition to the HTC Viveport store. The standalone Oculus Quest can turn into a PC-tethered headset, while SteamVR supports nearly any wired headset. VR is a small market, and the more content any given hardware can access, the more reason there is to buy it.
Meanwhile, many companies have failed to launch Manova-like virtual worlds, including Second Life operator Linden Lab with Sansar and Linden Lab founder Philip Rosedale with the largely shuttered High Fidelity. Chou believes Manova can succeed where Sansar and High Fidelity failed because of its “fine-tuned” nature.
“I think the difference is they designed those things based on the PC first and then they tried to put it on VR,” he says. “They don’t have a good digital avatar and they don’t have a holistic consideration of the mass-market consumer using it.” But that’s still an iffy bet, especially for a device that costs far more than the highly capable $399 Oculus Quest.
It’s not clear how much of a benefit 5G offers
The third-party app partnerships aren’t that exciting so far, either. It’s a short list that includes apps like Getty Images’ VR viewer alongside games like Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs. XRSpace has cut partnership deals with Germany’s Deutsche Telecom and Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom, which could help subsidize the cost for users. That said, it’s not clear how useful a 5G cellular connection will be, since VR headsets are overwhelmingly used in homes or other indoor spaces with Wi-Fi.


theverge--2020-05-26--You can now watch Quibi shows on a TV using AirPlay

Short-form mobile video service Quibi now supports Apple ’ s AirPlay protocol , which means you ’ ll be able to stream content from Quibi on your phone to AirPlay-enabled TVs and devices .
Quibi is also “ working hard ” to have support for Chromecast available in June , according to Tom Conrad , chief product officer at Quibi .
That should let Android users cast content from the Quibi app to their TVs as well , once it ’ s rolled out .
It first came to light that Quibi would be offering some sort of way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app in a May 11th article in The New York Times , though at that time , it was unclear if Quibi would be using AirPlay .
Quibi ’ s app still has a number of limitations that make Quibi content difficult to share .
Users can ’ t take screenshots , for example , meaning that it ’ s difficult for users to post screenshots from shows on social media .
In an interview with The New York Times , Katzenberg did say that users will soon be able to share Quibi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unclear exactly how , or if the restrictions on screenshots will be lifted .
Quibi , which launched on April 6th , has 1.3 million active users , the company informed The New York Times .
That ’ s significantly lower than many competing streaming services .
Disney Plus , by contrast , has nearly 55 million subscribers .
To be fair , Disney Plus has been available since November 2019 — but it also beat Quibi on usage out of the gate , picking up more than 10 million subscribers @ @ @ @ @

Short-form mobile video service Quibi now supports Apple’s AirPlay protocol, which means you’ll be able to stream content from Quibi on your phone to AirPlay-enabled TVs and devices.
Quibi is also “working hard” to have support for Chromecast available in June, according to Tom Conrad, chief product officer at Quibi. That should let Android users cast content from the Quibi app to their TVs as well, once it’s rolled out.
It first came to light that Quibi would be offering some sort of way to stream shows to TVs from the iOS app in a May 11th article in The New York Times, though at that time, it was unclear if Quibi would be using AirPlay.
Quibi’s app still has a number of limitations that make Quibi content difficult to share. Users can’t take screenshots, for example, meaning that it’s difficult for users to post screenshots from shows on social media. In an interview with The New York Times, Katzenberg did say that users will soon be able to share Quibi content on social media, though it’s unclear exactly how, or if the restrictions on screenshots will be lifted.


theverge--2020-05-26--macOS 10.15.5 is out now with a new battery health feature

Apple released macOS Catalina 10.15.5 today , adding a new battery health feature and new FaceTime options .
That battery health feature could extend the life of your MacBook ’ s battery .
Lithium-ion batteries , like the ones in a MacBook , slowly age over time , which means they typically begin to hold less of a charge as the computer gets older .
Apple ’ s new battery health feature in macOS is designed to slow that aging process so that your battery will hold more charge over a longer period of time .
Here ’ s how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as described by my colleagues Dieter Bohn and Jacob Kastrenakes last month : ... in certain cases , seeing 100 percent battery life in your menu bar may not necessarily mean it ’ s the maximum your battery could charge to .
Instead of meaning that it ’ s charged to 100 percent of what the battery could take , it will now mean it ’ s charged to 100 percent of what the battery should take to maximize its lifespan .
The new battery health feature will be turned on by default @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10.15.5 or after you upgrade to macOS 10.15.5 if you ’ re using a MacBook that supports Thunderbolt 3 ( which is any MacBook Pro released in 2016 or later or any MacBook Air released in 2018 or later ) .
macOS 10.15.5 will also let you turn off the feature in group FaceTime calls that changes the size of the portrait of the current speaker , adds controls to let you better calibrate the Pro Display XDR , and has other bug fixes and improvements .

Apple released macOS Catalina 10.15.5 today, adding a new battery health feature and new FaceTime options. That battery health feature could extend the life of your MacBook’s battery.
Lithium-ion batteries, like the ones in a MacBook, slowly age over time, which means they typically begin to hold less of a charge as the computer gets older. Apple’s new battery health feature in macOS is designed to slow that aging process so that your battery will hold more charge over a longer period of time.
Here’s how the feature works behind the scenes, as described by my colleagues Dieter Bohn and Jacob Kastrenakes last month:
...in certain cases, seeing 100 percent battery life in your menu bar may not necessarily mean it’s the maximum your battery could charge to. Instead of meaning that it’s charged to 100 percent of what the battery could take, it will now mean it’s charged to 100 percent of what the battery should take to maximize its lifespan.
The new battery health feature will be turned on by default for new MacBooks that ship with macOS 10.15.5 or after you upgrade to macOS 10.15.5 if you’re using a MacBook that supports Thunderbolt 3 (which is any MacBook Pro released in 2016 or later or any MacBook Air released in 2018 or later).
macOS 10.15.5 will also let you turn off the feature in group FaceTime calls that changes the size of the portrait of the current speaker, adds controls to let you better calibrate the Pro Display XDR, and has other bug fixes and improvements.


theverge--2020-05-26--Twitter labels Trump tweets as ‘potentially misleading’ for the first time

On Tuesday , Twitter labeled two tweets from President Donald Trump making false statements about mail-in voting as “ potentially misleading.
” It ’ s the first time the platform has fact-checked the president .
The label was imposed on two tweets Trump posted Tuesday morning falsely claiming that “ mail-in ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent ” and would result in “ a rigged election.
” The tweets focused primarily on California ’ s efforts to expand mail-in voting due to the novel coronavirus pandemic .
On Sunday , the Republican National Committee sued California Governor Gavin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expand mail-in voting .
According to a Twitter spokesperson , the tweets “ contain potentially misleading information about voting processes and have been labeled to provide additional context around mail-in ballots.
” When a user sees the tweets from Trump , a link from Twitter is attached to them that says “ Get the facts about mail-in ballots.
” The link leads to a collection of tweets and news articles debunking the president ’ s statements .
At the top of the fact-check page , Twitter writes “ Trump falsely claimed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rigged Election.
’ However , fact-checkers say there is no evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud.
” A Twitter spokesperson said the move is in line with a new policy introduced earlier this month aimed at limiting “ the spread of potentially harmful and misleading content ” related to the pandemic .
That same policy did not apply to tweets from the president earlier this month falsely claiming that hydroxychloroquine has been proven to effectively treat COVID-19 , according to a report from The Verge last week .
Brad Parscale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter ’ s decision in a statement .
“ Partnering with the biased fake news media ‘ fact checkers ’ is only a smoke screen Twitter is using to try to lend their obvious political tactics some false credibility , ” Parscale said .
Trump responded on Twitter , saying the company is “ now interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election ” and that the company is “ completely stifling FREE SPEECH ” in a series of Tuesday evening tweets .
Over the last few days , Trump has targeted Democratic-controlled states like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting during the pandemic .
Last week , Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from Michigan because the state ’ s secretary of state sent absentee ballot applications to all registered voters .
“ I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path , ” Trump tweeted at the time .
So far , the two most recent tweets about California are the only ones to receive this label .
Update May 26th , 8:04PM ET : Added tweets from Trump .

On Tuesday, Twitter labeled two tweets from President Donald Trump making false statements about mail-in voting as “potentially misleading.” It’s the first time the platform has fact-checked the president.
The label was imposed on two tweets Trump posted Tuesday morning falsely claiming that “mail-in ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent” and would result in “a rigged election.” The tweets focused primarily on California’s efforts to expand mail-in voting due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday, the Republican National Committee sued California Governor Gavin Newsom over the state’s moves to expand mail-in voting.
According to a Twitter spokesperson, the tweets “contain potentially misleading information about voting processes and have been labeled to provide additional context around mail-in ballots.” When a user sees the tweets from Trump, a link from Twitter is attached to them that says “Get the facts about mail-in ballots.” The link leads to a collection of tweets and news articles debunking the president’s statements.
At the top of the fact-check page, Twitter writes “Trump falsely claimed that mail-in ballots would lead to ‘a Rigged Election.’ However, fact-checkers say there is no evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud.”
A Twitter spokesperson said the move is in line with a new policy introduced earlier this month aimed at limiting “the spread of potentially harmful and misleading content” related to the pandemic. That same policy did not apply to tweets from the president earlier this month falsely claiming that hydroxychloroquine has been proven to effectively treat COVID-19, according to a report from The Verge last week.
Brad Parscale, Trump campaign manager, responded to Twitter’s decision in a statement. “Partnering with the biased fake news media ‘fact checkers’ is only a smoke screen Twitter is using to try to lend their obvious political tactics some false credibility,” Parscale said.
Trump responded on Twitter, saying the company is “now interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election” and that the company is “completely stifling FREE SPEECH” in a series of Tuesday evening tweets.
Over the last few days, Trump has targeted Democratic-controlled states like California over their efforts to expand mail-in voting during the pandemic. Last week, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from Michigan because the state’s secretary of state sent absentee ballot applications to all registered voters. “I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path,” Trump tweeted at the time.
So far, the two most recent tweets about California are the only ones to receive this label.


theverge--2020-05-26--Amazon gave TV stations coronavirus propaganda, and some aired it

Amazon has been successfully feeding talking points , video footage , and other corporate messaging to local television news stations ahead of its annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday .
The footage and script are designed to paint Amazon in a positive light as it faces a torrent of bad media coverage and criticism from activists and politicians over its handling of workplace safety issues during the coronavirus pandemic .
As Zach Rael , an anchor for ABC affiliate KOCO 5 News in Oklahoma City , pointed out on Twitter earlier this morning , Amazon ’ s public relations team has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with prepared scripts and b-roll packages that promote the company ’ s safety precautions and other measures to combat COVID-19 among its warehouse workforce .
So far , eight Amazon workers have died of the virus , according to media reports , and countless others have been infected .
Yet , Amazon has come under fire for refusing to disclose concrete numbers around COVID-19 infections , cracking down on worker protests against safety conditions and failing to inform some workers when their colleagues have become ill .
These PR strategies have been deployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disturbing video put together by local news-focused outlet Courier Newsroom demonstrates how effective Amazon ’ s approach is and why so many companies use similar strategies to seed narratives to news media .
The video showcases 11 news stations running parts of Amazon ’ s script verbatim , with the words spoken by local news anchors and without any acknowledgment that they were written by Amazon spokesperson Todd Walker , a former broadcast journalist who also performed the on-site interviews .
“ Only one station , Toledo ABC affiliate WTVG , acknowledged that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news reporter , and that the content had come from Amazon , ” Courier reports .
When reached for comment , Wes Armstead , the news director for Bluefield , West Virginia NBC affiliate WVVA , told Courier , “ I was not aware the package was provided by Amazon , ” adding , “ We ’ ll make sure it doesn ’ t happen again.
” Courier says Amazon has denied any wrongdoing , instead pointing to the publicly available press release it issued on May 23rd through Business Wire containing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided to media outlets .
In a statement , Amazon said the package was designed to aid news media that can not shoot on location during the pandemic .
“ We welcome reporters into our buildings and it ’ s misleading to suggest otherwise .
This type of video was created to share an inside look into the health and safety measures we ’ ve rolled out in our buildings and was intended for reporters who for a variety of reasons weren ’ t able to come tour one of our sites themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Verge .
Amazon also says the video supplied to the news stations was not promotional in nature and no one involved in it was paid to participate .
Update May 26th , 6:12PM ET : Updated to include a statement from Amazon .

Amazon has been successfully feeding talking points, video footage, and other corporate messaging to local television news stations ahead of its annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday. The footage and script are designed to paint Amazon in a positive light as it faces a torrent of bad media coverage and criticism from activists and politicians over its handling of workplace safety issues during the coronavirus pandemic.
As Zach Rael, an anchor for ABC affiliate KOCO 5 News in Oklahoma City, pointed out on Twitter earlier this morning, Amazon’s public relations team has been emailing TV stations around the country with prepared scripts and b-roll packages that promote the company’s safety precautions and other measures to combat COVID-19 among its warehouse workforce.
These PR strategies have been deployed by corporations for decades, but a disturbing video put together by local news-focused outlet Courier Newsroom demonstrates how effective Amazon’s approach is and why so many companies use similar strategies to seed narratives to news media. The video showcases 11 news stations running parts of Amazon’s script verbatim, with the words spoken by local news anchors and without any acknowledgment that they were written by Amazon spokesperson Todd Walker, a former broadcast journalist who also performed the on-site interviews.
“Only one station, Toledo ABC affiliate WTVG, acknowledged that Walker was an Amazon employee, not a news reporter, and that the content had come from Amazon,” Courier reports. When reached for comment, Wes Armstead, the news director for Bluefield, West Virginia NBC affiliate WVVA, told Courier, “I was not aware the package was provided by Amazon,” adding, “We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Courier says Amazon has denied any wrongdoing, instead pointing to the publicly available press release it issued on May 23rd through Business Wire containing the script text and b-roll footage it provided to media outlets.
In a statement, Amazon said the package was designed to aid news media that cannot shoot on location during the pandemic. “We welcome reporters into our buildings and it’s misleading to suggest otherwise. This type of video was created to share an inside look into the health and safety measures we’ve rolled out in our buildings and was intended for reporters who for a variety of reasons weren’t able to come tour one of our sites themselves,” a company spokesperson tells The Verge.
Amazon also says the video supplied to the news stations was not promotional in nature and no one involved in it was paid to participate.