theverge--2020-07-07--Fraunhofer’s new H.266 codec promises to cut the cost of streaming 4K video in half

The Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute , the electrical engineering and computer science division of the esteemed German research organization , on Tuesday announced VVC , a new video codec standard that promises to bring around 50 percent efficiency gains in streaming video compression .
The codec ’ s full name is H.266/Versatile Video Coding , as Fraunhofer says it ’ s designed to be a successor to the industry-standard H.264/Advanced Video Coding ( AVC ) and H.265/High Efficiency Video Coding ( HEVC ) formats that combined make up about 90 percent of global digital video transmission and compression on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released in 2013 , the codec has proved controversial due to aggressive patent disputes from its various stakeholders .
That 's why AVC , the predecessor to HEVC , still remains the more dominant standard , despite first releasing back in 2003 .
But Fraunhofer says VVC could be a path forward for the industry , as almost every major hardware and software company is currently tied up in a messy patent royalty system that dictates how much various stakeholders must pay to use different compression and transmission standards for devices , websites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fraunhofer says you can get something far better than AVC and HEVC without any of the licensing headaches .
VVC promises to use half the data as HEVC to stream a 90-minute 4K video “ Through a reduction of data requirements , H.266/VVC makes video transmission in mobile networks ( where data capacity is limited ) more efficient .
For instance , the previous standard H.265/HEVC requires 10 gigabytes of data to transmit a 90-min UHD video , ” reads Fraunhofer ’ s press release .
“ With this new technology , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieve the same quality .
Because H.266/VVC was developed with ultra-high-resolution video content in mind , the new standard is particularly beneficial when streaming 4K or 8K videos on a flat screen TV .
Furthermore , H.266/VVC is ideal for all types of moving images : from high-resolution 360° video panoramas to screen sharing contents.
” Fraunhofer ’ s parent organization — the Fraunhofer Society , which is comprised of many smaller institutes like Fraunhofer HHI and others — is best known in the world of digital media standards as the creator of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the creation of H.264 and H.265 .
So the research organization certainty has a storied and successful history working in data compression .
But Fraunhofer does not mention in its press release the existence of AV1 , an open-source and royalty-free competitor to the HEVC standard created by the Open Media Alliance , which includes all five major US tech giants after Apple signed on in early 2018 .
AV1 and its predecessor , VP9 , are integral for streaming 4K content from platforms like YouTube , so it ’ s likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years to come .
It ’ s not clear to what extent AV1 , AVC , HEVC , and VVC will all coexist in the future , but Fraunhofer claims the Media Coding Industry Forum — the industry consortium to which it belongs alongside Apple , Sony , and others — is currently working toward chip designs to support VVC at the hardware level .
“ This autumn Fraunhofer HHI will publish the first software ( for both encoder and decoder ) to support H.266/VVC , ” Thomas Schierl , head of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HHI , said in a statement .

The Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, the electrical engineering and computer science division of the esteemed German research organization, on Tuesday announced VVC, a new video codec standard that promises to bring around 50 percent efficiency gains in streaming video compression.
The codec’s full name is H.266/Versatile Video Coding, as Fraunhofer says it’s designed to be a successor to the industry-standard H.264/Advanced Video Coding (AVC) and H.265/High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) formats that combined make up about 90 percent of global digital video transmission and compression on the market today. While HEVC was first released in 2013, the codec has proved controversial due to aggressive patent disputes from its various stakeholders. That's why AVC, the predecessor to HEVC, still remains the more dominant standard, despite first releasing back in 2003.
But Fraunhofer says VVC could be a path forward for the industry, as almost every major hardware and software company is currently tied up in a messy patent royalty system that dictates how much various stakeholders must pay to use different compression and transmission standards for devices, websites, and apps. With VVC, Fraunhofer says you can get something far better than AVC and HEVC without any of the licensing headaches.
VVC promises to use half the data as HEVC to stream a 90-minute 4K video
“Through a reduction of data requirements, H.266/VVC makes video transmission in mobile networks (where data capacity is limited) more efficient. For instance, the previous standard H.265/HEVC requires 10 gigabytes of data to transmit a 90-min UHD video,” reads Fraunhofer’s press release. “With this new technology, only 5 gigabytes of data are required to achieve the same quality. Because H.266/VVC was developed with ultra-high-resolution video content in mind, the new standard is particularly beneficial when streaming 4K or 8K videos on a flat screen TV. Furthermore, H.266/VVC is ideal for all types of moving images: from high-resolution 360° video panoramas to screen sharing contents.”
Fraunhofer’s parent organization — the Fraunhofer Society, which is comprised of many smaller institutes like Fraunhofer HHI and others — is best known in the world of digital media standards as the creator of the MP3. It also contributed heavily to the creation of H.264 and H.265. So the research organization certainty has a storied and successful history working in data compression. But Fraunhofer does not mention in its press release the existence of AV1, an open-source and royalty-free competitor to the HEVC standard created by the Open Media Alliance, which includes all five major US tech giants after Apple signed on in early 2018. AV1 and its predecessor, VP9, are integral for streaming 4K content from platforms like YouTube, so it’s likely these standards will continue to compete for years to come.


theverge--2020-07-07--Facebook boycott organizers call Mark Zuckerberg meeting ‘a disappointment’

After months of escalating pressure , leaders from the # StopHateForProfit boycott campaign met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives today .
But in a call with reporters after the meeting , organizers from Color of Change , Free Press , the NAACP , and the Anti-Defamation League described the meeting as frustrating .
“ The meeting that we just left was a disappointment , ” said Color of Change president Rashad Robinson .
“ At this point , we were expecting a very clear answer to the demands we are making , and we did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the meeting was slightly over an hour , and it included a variety of policy team leads as well as chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and chief product officer Chris Cox .
But while the company was eager to continue a dialogue with the groups , organizers say the company failed to make any firm commitments on the 10 demands made by boycott organizers , which include prohibiting calls to violence from politicians and removing groups focused on white supremacy or Holocaust denial .
“ At this point , we were expecting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not get that.
” “ The only recommendation they even attempted to address is hiring a civil rights position but were unable to commit to the crucial piece of the position being at the C-suite level or what the requirements for the position will be , ” Color of Change said in a follow-up statement .
“ However , they offered no attempt to respond to the other nine recommendations.
” Anti-Defamation League president Jonathan Greenblatt — a partner in the # StopHateForProfit coalition — shared those frustrations , describing the meeting as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitments.
” Greenblatt took particular issue with Facebook ’ s claim that it proactively removes 89 percent of hateful content that users attempt to post .
“ The Ford motor company can ’ t say that 89 percent of their seatbelts work , ” he said .
“ The answer we heard was , ‘ We ’ re on a journey , we ’ re doing better , we ’ re almost there , ’ ” Greenblatt continued .
“ That ’ s not good enough.
” Reached for comment , Facebook emphasized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including banning specific white supremacist organizations and crafting policies against voter and census misinformation .
“ This meeting was an opportunity for us to hear from the campaign organizers and reaffirm our commitment to combating hate on our platform , ” a Facebook spokesperson said .
“ They want Facebook to be free of hate speech and so do we .
That ’ s why it ’ s so important that we work to get this right.
” Focusing on Facebook ’ s moderation of hate groups , the # StopHateForProfit campaign has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swear off the platform .
Coca-Cola , Unilever , Diageo , and many other major advertisers have pledged not to purchase advertising on Facebook until the issues are addressed .
The campaign has also had an impact outside of Facebook , with significant moderation efforts by YouTube , Reddit , and Twitch undertaken in the wake of the campaign .
Facebook also took down a number of pages associated with the insurrectionist “ boogaloo ” movement .
Facebook ’ s broadest response to the demands has been its long-pending civil rights audit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ report from that audit tomorrow , conducted by an independent law firm , although activists remain concerned about how vigorously the company will implement the audit ’ s recommendations .
“ We have worked for years to try to minimize the presence of hate on our platform , ” Sandberg wrote in a blog post after the meeting .
“ We are working hard every day to enforce our policies with ever greater precision and speed .
We are never going to be perfect , but we care about this deeply.
” Update @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Facebook spokesperson .

After months of escalating pressure, leaders from the #StopHateForProfit boycott campaign met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives today. But in a call with reporters after the meeting, organizers from Color of Change, Free Press, the NAACP, and the Anti-Defamation League described the meeting as frustrating.
“The meeting that we just left was a disappointment,” said Color of Change president Rashad Robinson. “At this point, we were expecting a very clear answer to the demands we are making, and we did not get that.”
Held on Zoom, the meeting was slightly over an hour, and it included a variety of policy team leads as well as chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and chief product officer Chris Cox. But while the company was eager to continue a dialogue with the groups, organizers say the company failed to make any firm commitments on the 10 demands made by boycott organizers, which include prohibiting calls to violence from politicians and removing groups focused on white supremacy or Holocaust denial.
“At this point, we were expecting a very clear answer ... and we did not get that.”
“The only recommendation they even attempted to address is hiring a civil rights position but were unable to commit to the crucial piece of the position being at the C-suite level or what the requirements for the position will be,” Color of Change said in a follow-up statement. “However, they offered no attempt to respond to the other nine recommendations.”
Anti-Defamation League president Jonathan Greenblatt — a partner in the #StopHateForProfit coalition — shared those frustrations, describing the meeting as “long on time but short on commitments.” Greenblatt took particular issue with Facebook’s claim that it proactively removes 89 percent of hateful content that users attempt to post. “The Ford motor company can’t say that 89 percent of their seatbelts work,” he said.
“The answer we heard was, ‘We’re on a journey, we’re doing better, we’re almost there,’” Greenblatt continued. “That’s not good enough.”
Reached for comment, Facebook emphasized its efforts to moderate harmful content, including banning specific white supremacist organizations and crafting policies against voter and census misinformation. “This meeting was an opportunity for us to hear from the campaign organizers and reaffirm our commitment to combating hate on our platform,” a Facebook spokesperson said. “They want Facebook to be free of hate speech and so do we. That’s why it’s so important that we work to get this right.”
Focusing on Facebook’s moderation of hate groups, the #StopHateForProfit campaign has shown remarkable success in convincing advertisers to swear off the platform. Coca-Cola, Unilever, Diageo, and many other major advertisers have pledged not to purchase advertising on Facebook until the issues are addressed.
The campaign has also had an impact outside of Facebook, with significant moderation efforts by YouTube, Reddit, and Twitch undertaken in the wake of the campaign. Facebook also took down a number of pages associated with the insurrectionist “boogaloo” movement.
Facebook’s broadest response to the demands has been its long-pending civil rights audit. The company plans to release the final report from that audit tomorrow, conducted by an independent law firm, although activists remain concerned about how vigorously the company will implement the audit’s recommendations.
“We have worked for years to try to minimize the presence of hate on our platform,” Sandberg wrote in a blog post after the meeting. “We are working hard every day to enforce our policies with ever greater precision and speed. We are never going to be perfect, but we care about this deeply.”


theverge--2020-07-07--Everything you need to know about the coronavirus

Public health experts around the globe are scrambling to understand , track , and contain a new virus that appeared in Wuhan , China , at the beginning of December 2019 .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) named the disease caused by the virus COVID-19 , which references the type of virus and the year it emerged .
The WHO declared that the virus is a pandemic .
The Verge is regularly updating this page with all of the latest news and analysis .
You can see where and how many cases of the illness have been reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks of the disease in multiple places , including Brazil , India , the United Kingdom , and the United States , which currently has the worst outbreak of any country in the world .
As this important story continues to unfold , our hope is to answer all of your questions as people work to understand this virus and contain its spread .
Where did the virus come from ?
At the end of December , public health officials from China informed the World Health Organization that they had a problem : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pneumonia-like illness in the city of Wuhan .
They quickly determined that it was a coronavirus and that it was rapidly spreading through and outside of Wuhan .
Coronaviruses are common in animals of all kinds , and they sometimes can evolve into forms that can infect humans .
Since the start of the century , two other coronaviruses have jumped to humans , causing the SARS outbreak in 2002 and the MERS outbreak in 2012 .
Scientists think this new virus first became capable of jumping to humans at the beginning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus first infected people at a seafood market in Wuhan and spread from there .
But one analysis of early cases of the illness , published on January 24th , found that the first patient to get sick did not have any contact with the market .
Experts are still trying to trace the outbreak back to its source .
The type of animal the virus originated from is not clear , although one analysis found that the genetic sequence of the new virus is 96 percent identical to one coronavirus found in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in bats .
Where is it spreading ?
The virus is now spreading all over the world .
Although it originated in China , the country took aggressive action at the start of the outbreak , shutting down transportation in some cities and suspending public gatherings .
Officials isolated sick people and aggressively tracked their contacts , and had a dedicated network of hospitals to test for the virus .
Countries like New Zealand , Japan , South Korea , and Germany have successfully slowed the pandemic .
The US has not , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crisis .
It has more cases than any country in the world , and outbreaks are accelerating through the south and west — particularly in Florida and Arizona .
How dangerous is this new virus ?
It takes information about both how severe an illness is and how easily it can spread to determine how “ bad ” it can be .
Epidemiologists often use this tool to assess new strains of the flu , for example : If an illness isn ’ t very severe ( and kills only a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s highly transmissible , it can still be devastating .
An easily transmitted illness that kills a small percentage of the people it infects can still cause a lot of deaths , precisely because so many people get sick .
The WHO named the illness caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 — “ co ” and “ vi ” for coronavirus , “ d ” for disease , and “ 19 ” for the year when the disease emerged .
COVID-19 is a serious illness , and it ’ s much more dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) projection suggests that between 160 to 214 million people will eventually be infected in the US and that between 200,000 and 1.7 million could die .
The symptoms of COVID-19 have ranged from mild , like those in a cold , to severe .
Around 80 percent of confirmed cases are mild and don ’ t require hospitalization — at least , 80 percent of the cases that we know about .
It ’ s still possible that there are more mild cases of the illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which would shrink the percentage of cases that are severe .
In about 15 percent of people , the illness is severe enough that they need to be hospitalized , and about 5 percent of cases are critical .
It appears around half of the people with critical cases of the illness die from it .
“ Mild ” cases , though , can still be debilitating .
Some people with the disease say they couldn ’ t get out of bed for weeks .
For many people , the effects of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fevers for months or experiencing waves of fatigue that make it hard to run errands or walk up the stairs .
Researchers don ’ t know why symptoms last so long , even after people no longer test positive for the virus .
So far , experts say that around 1 percent of people who get sick with COVID-19 will die , though it ’ s still too early to say for sure how often it is fatal .
In the US , around 5 percent of people with confirmed cases of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that doesn ’ t account for the people who didn ’ t know they were infected or who were n't able to get tested .
Different groups of people are more at risk of having a severe case of the illness or of dying from it .
Most deaths in this outbreak have been in older people and those who have underlying health issues , like heart disease , hypertension , and diabetes .
In that group , people are more at risk of dying .
Around 14 percent of people over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die , for example .
How easily can the virus spread ?
The virus moves rapidly .
The new coronavirus spreads quickly in contained environments , like on the Diamond Princess cruise ship .
Early evidence suggested that , like other coronaviruses , the virus jumps between people who are in very close contact with each other .
It also probably spreads when an infected person sneezes or coughs .
Coughs and sneezes produce little droplets of mucus and saliva .
If these droplets make it into another person ’ s eyes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get sick .
The viruses in those little droplets can also fall onto surfaces , like tables or doorknobs — if someone touches that surface and touches their eyes , mouth , or nose , they can also get sick .
The smallest of those droplets can also linger in the air after a sick person coughs or sneezes or when they breathe and talk .
People can probably get infected by those clouds of lingering droplets , even though scientists still don ’ t know how often that actually happens .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in poorly ventilated rooms , is dangerous : tiny virus-carrying droplets wouldn ’ t circulate out in the same way they would outdoors .
We also don ’ t know when people with COVID-19 become contagious or how long being contagious lasts .
One study of nine people in Germany with mild cases of the illness found that they had high levels of the virus in their throats early on in the course of the disease before they felt very sick .
Research out of China showed that people without symptoms still have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throats and noses .
It ’ s probably possible for people to spread the virus to others before they feel sick .
It ’ s also possible that people who never feel sick and are truly asymptomatic can infect other people .
Researchers still don ’ t know how often those people actually end up spreading the disease .
Some studies suggest that people who do have symptoms are much more likely to spread the virus to others .
Each sick person will go on to infect , on average , between 1.4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , though that ’ s an early estimate .
Other teams of researchers have published their own estimates , with most saying a sick person will infect an average of around two or three people .
Those numbers are called the virus ’ s R0 ( pronounced “ R-naught ” ) .
The R0 is the mathematical representation of how well an infection might be able to spread .
The higher the number , the easier the disease is to spread .
For comparison , the R0 for SARS was between two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t mean each sick person will actually infect that many people ; quarantines and other actions taken to control outbreaks of a virus can bring down the number of people a sick person infects .
The R0 is also just an average .
Researchers think this particular illness happens in clusters and tends to cause “ superspreading ” events .
Some estimate that as few as 10 percent of COVID-19 cases are responsible for 80 percent of the disease ’ s spread — that is , most people don ’ t infect anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off chain reactions that infect dozens .
Can we treat this virus ?
There aren ’ t any proven treatments for COVID-19 , but there are dozens of studies underway to find some .
One leading candidate is remdesivir , an antiviral medication originally developed to treat Ebola .
The Food and Drug Administration authorized it for emergency use during the pandemic — it doesn ’ t have full approval , but the agency says the potential benefits outweigh the risks .
There was a lot of early hype around the anti-malaria medication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it doesn ’ t actually help COVID-19 patients .
Clinical trials did show , though , that a cheap steroid called dexamethasone could help people who are hospitalized with very severe cases of the disease .
Research teams and pharmaceutical companies are also working to develop a vaccine that can protect people from infection .
However , vaccine development takes a long time .
Even if everything goes smoothly , it will be around a year to 18 months before one is available , said Anthony Fauci , the director of the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What can I do to protect myself and others ?
Stay home if you ’ re feeling sick , even if you ’ re just a little bit under the weather .
Stay home as much as possible even if you ’ re not feeling sick .
If you do go out , wear a cloth mask or face covering when you ’ re out in public , especially in places where it ’ s hard to stay far away from others .
While they ’ re not perfect , a cloth face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus-laden particles to other people , even if you don ’ t know you ’ re sick .
They could also partially block the virus from reaching your nose or mouth .
If everyone wears them , some studies show they could help slow the spread of the virus .
Many states are slowly starting to let restaurants , barbershops , and retail stores open , even though the disease is still spreading rapidly in some places .
The CDC released guidelines on June 12th , outlining the relative risk of everyday activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they venture out to the bank or the gym .
Spending time with a few people is less risky than hanging out with a large group , and everyone should wear masks and keep at a distance , the CDC says .
The risk of contracting COVID-19 ( or spreading it ) goes up if you spend time with other people indoors rather than outside .
Before deciding if you should do a particular activity , the agency recommends thinking about how many new cases are being reported each day in your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low , the risk is lower than if hundreds of new people are being diagnosed with COVID-19 each day .
You should also think about how closely you ’ d be interacting with other people ( and if they ’ d be wearing a mask ) .
If you ’ re a young , healthy person , you might not feel very sick if you catch COVID-19 .
But you could pass it on to someone older or with a chronic health condition who is more likely to have a severe case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , am I immune ?
Many researchers think that after someone is infected with the coronavirus , there ’ s a good chance that person won ’ t get sick from the virus again for some still-undetermined amount of time .
That ’ s based on what scientists know about how most viruses work .
Usually , when you ’ re sick from a viral infection , your body develops antibodies against that virus .
The next time you ’ re exposed to the virus , those antibodies could stop it from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that isn ’ t always the case .
There isn ’ t concrete evidence that people who got sick once with COVID-19 can ’ t get sick again because no studies have specifically tested that idea .
But virologists don ’ t think that this virus behaves differently than most other viruses — so people who did get sick are probably protected .
The question , though , is for how long : for some viruses , the protection fades after a year or a few years .
There aren ’ t answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China and South Korea have reported that some patients who were sick with COVID-19 and recovered tested positive for the virus a second time .
That probably doesn ’ t mean they were re-infected , though , and doesn ’ t mean that people can get sick more than once in a short period of time .
Instead , it probably means that there were still tiny bits of virus lingering in their nose and throat — not enough to make them sick , and probably not enough to make other people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive test .
It could also mean that the patients ’ initial , negative tests after they felt better were false negatives , which happen frequently .
What ’ s happening in the US ?
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in response to the coronavirus at the end of January , and President Trump declared a federal emergency in March .
As the overall case counts rose through March and April , governors and local officials closed nonessential businesses and told people to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The interventions are helped to slow the spread of the disease in some areas , but many states — including Texas , Arizona , and Florida — lifted restrictions before public health experts thought it was safe .
Now , cases in those places are rapidly increasing .
After a long plateau , spikes in some Southern and Western US states are pushing new daily case numbers in the US to record highs .
Early in 2020 , the virus spread undetected for weeks in the US .
Initially , CDC guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person had been in a country with an ongoing spread of the virus or who had been in contact with someone with a confirmed case of the disease could be tested .
That delayed the diagnosis of patients who did not have those risk factors .
The US is doing around 480,000 to 500,000 COVID-19 tests per day , according to data collected by volunteers at the COVID Tracking Project .
Some experts say the US needs to be doing at least 900,000 tests per day .
Testing was slow to get off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took too long for the FDA and the CDC to develop and distribute a functioning test and longer still for testing capacity to increase .
Many public health agencies across the country also still aren ’ t getting in touch with everyone who tests positive for the virus to find the people they may have exposed — a critical public health tool called contact tracing .
The US needs to scale up its contact tracing workforce in order to control the outbreak .
The US currently has the worst outbreak of any country @ @ @ @

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


theverge--2020-07-07--Go read this Kotaku story about Ubisoft’s pervasive toxic culture

Over the past few weeks , dozens of people connected to the game industry have shared stories of abuse on Twitter .
One company , in particular , Ubisoft , has had multiple allegations leveled against high-ranking employees , including executives Tommy François and Maxime Béland .
In a story from Kotaku , Ethan Gach reports that employees of Ubisoft Toronto are speaking up to leadership “ with grave concerns about ongoing reported harassment and an inability to feel safe or protected within our own studio ” in a letter signed by more than 100 employees .
The report includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a particularly disturbing incident in which Béland put his hands around a female employee ’ s neck .
Sources describe a culture in which employees fear being branded as troublemakers for speaking up about problems .
“ A white guy can get away with just about anything , but I ’ ve seen a lot of women ’ s careers get destroyed by speaking up , ” one former male Ubisoft employee told Kotaku .
“ And when the company structure is almost all white guys , women who ‘ cause a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sources point to problems with HR , including Béland ’ s wife serving as interim head of HR , as well as systemic issues within the company ’ s culture and support of female employees .
Gach writes : In addition to parties to celebrate game launches and holidays , Ubisoft Toronto held monthly work parties called UbiBashes where people eat , drink , dance , and play games as the workday fades into evening .
These events were billed as a way for the new hires constantly pouring in at the rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coworkers .
They could even be a lot of fun .
But some former employees also blamed the parties , in conjunction with lax standards from leadership , for creating an atmosphere in which it was easier for incidents of harassment or sexual misconduct to be shrugged off .
Béland has since resigned from Ubisoft .
François is currently on disciplinary leave , while investigations into other unnamed employees are in progress .

Over the past few weeks, dozens of people connected to the game industry have shared stories of abuse on Twitter. One company, in particular, Ubisoft, has had multiple allegations leveled against high-ranking employees, including executives Tommy François and Maxime Béland. In a story from Kotaku, Ethan Gach reports that employees of Ubisoft Toronto are speaking up to leadership “with grave concerns about ongoing reported harassment and an inability to feel safe or protected within our own studio” in a letter signed by more than 100 employees.
The report includes several stories about behavior at Ubisoft, including a particularly disturbing incident in which Béland put his hands around a female employee’s neck. Sources describe a culture in which employees fear being branded as troublemakers for speaking up about problems. “A white guy can get away with just about anything, but I’ve seen a lot of women’s careers get destroyed by speaking up,” one former male Ubisoft employee told Kotaku. “And when the company structure is almost all white guys, women who ‘cause a fuss’ will get pushed out.”
Sources point to problems with HR, including Béland’s wife serving as interim head of HR, as well as systemic issues within the company’s culture and support of female employees. Gach writes:
In addition to parties to celebrate game launches and holidays, Ubisoft Toronto held monthly work parties called UbiBashes where people eat, drink, dance, and play games as the workday fades into evening. These events were billed as a way for the new hires constantly pouring in at the rapidly expanding studio to meet and socialize with coworkers. They could even be a lot of fun. But some former employees also blamed the parties, in conjunction with lax standards from leadership, for creating an atmosphere in which it was easier for incidents of harassment or sexual misconduct to be shrugged off.


theverge--2020-07-08--Watch SpaceX launch its latest batch of Starlink satellites, with two hitchhiking spacecraft

Just a week after launching a GPS satellite for the Space Force , SpaceX is back with another launch of its internet-beaming Starlink satellites .
The company ’ s Falcon 9 rocket is slated to take off from Cape Canaveral , Florida , today , launching 57 Starlink spacecraft as well as two hitchhiking Earth observation satellites from operator BlackSky .
The flight is the latest in SpaceX ’ s ongoing quest to flesh out its proposed massive Starlink constellation , aimed at providing broadband internet connectivity from space .
The company has permission to launch nearly 12,000 Starlink satellites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swarm of spacecraft that will beam internet coverage to every point of the globe .
After this launch , SpaceX will have launched 595 of its Starlink satellites ( though at least one has come out of orbit , while a few others have failed since making it to space ) .
Today ’ s mission is the second Starlink launch to include another company ’ s satellites Today ’ s mission is the second Starlink launch to include another company ’ s satellites along for the ride .
Typically , SpaceX has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 , all by themselves .
But on a previous launch in June , SpaceX launched 58 Starlink satellites as well as three tiny imaging satellites from the company Planet .
The company Spaceflight , a broker that finds room for satellites on upcoming launches , arranged for the BlackSky satellites to fly on this mission .
SpaceX also has its own program to arrange ride-shares on its Falcon 9 rocket , working directly with customers , as it did with the recent Planet ride-share .
The Starlink satellites going up on today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively new feature , too .
They ’ re equipped with a deployable visor , known as a sunshade , designed to prevent the Sun ’ s light from reflecting off of the shiniest parts of the satellites , notably the antennas .
The goal is to decrease the overall brightness of the Starlink spacecraft while in orbit so that they appear as dark as possible in the night sky .
SpaceX already launched one of these sunshades on a previous Starlink flight in early June .
This is the first launch where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
SpaceX ’ s new sunshades are a direct response to concerns that have been raised by the astronomy community about Starlink .
After the first launch of SpaceX ’ s satellites , astronomers noticed just how bright the spacecraft appeared in the sky , and scientists grew worried that such a massive constellation of shiny satellites would interfere with their observations of the Universe .
To observe distant celestial objects , astronomers often rely on taking long-exposure images of the night sky — and a satellite zooming through an image leaves a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All of the Starlink satellites are equipped with a deployable visor known as a sunshade Following discussion with leading astronomy groups , the sunshade is the latest solution SpaceX has come up with .
The company tried coating one of its Starlink satellites in early January to make it appear darker ; that solution didn ’ t dampen the vehicle enough to allay everyone ’ s fears .
More changes could be on the horizon , too , such as changing how the satellites are oriented when they reach their final orbits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slated for liftoff at 11:59AM ET out of the company ’ s launchpad at NASA ’ s Kennedy Space Center in Florida .
SpaceX is using one of its used rockets for the mission , a Falcon 9 that has flown to space and back four times before .
The rocket will attempt to land on one of SpaceX ’ s drone ships in the Atlantic following the launch , potentially enabling the vehicle to fly for the sixth time after today .
In June , SpaceX set a new record of landing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time following a flight ; the company could repeat the feat today .
If all goes well , the two BlackSky satellites will deploy first , just over an hour after takeoff .
The Starlink satellites will then deploy about 30 minutes after that .
Weather is a bit iffy , with just a 60 percent chance that conditions will be favorable for flight .
If SpaceX is able to launch today , the company ’ s live stream is set to begin about 15 minutes before takeoff .

Update August 7th, 8:45AM ET: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket took off at 1:12AM ET. The first stage successfully landed on the droneship ‘Of course I still love you.’ The company confirmed that both BlackSky satellites had been deployed at 2:21AM ET, and the successful deployment of the 57 Starlink satellites was confirmed soon after. Our original post continues below.
After a month-long delay, SpaceX is ready again to launch its latest batch of internet-beaming Starlink satellites. The company’s Falcon 9 rocket is slated to take off from Cape Canaveral, Florida super early Friday morning, launching 57 Starlink spacecraft as well as two hitchhiking Earth observation satellites from operator BlackSky.
The flight is the latest in SpaceX’s ongoing quest to flesh out its proposed massive Starlink constellation. The company has permission to launch nearly 12,000 Starlink satellites from the Federal Communications Commission, a swarm of spacecraft that will beam broadband internet coverage to every point on the globe. After this launch, SpaceX will have launched 595 Starlink satellites (though at least one has come out of orbit, while a few others have failed since making it to space).
This mission is the second Starlink launch to include another company’s satellites
SpaceX originally hoped to launch this mission in early July, but delayed the launch twice — once due to bad weather and a second time to “allow more time for checkouts” of the Falcon 9 rocket. Ultimately the company pushed back the mission into August, after it brought back its first astronaut crew — Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley — from the International Space Station.
This mission is the second Starlink launch to include another company’s satellites along for the ride. Typically, SpaceX has launched its Starlink probes in batches of 60, all by themselves. But on a previous launch in June, SpaceX launched 58 Starlink satellites as well as three tiny imaging satellites from the company Planet. The company Spaceflight, a broker that finds room for satellites on upcoming launches, arranged for the BlackSky satellites to fly on this mission. SpaceX also has its own program to arrange ride-shares on its Falcon 9 rocket, working directly with customers, as it did with the recent Planet ride-share.
The Starlink satellites going up on this launch will all sport a relatively new feature. They’re equipped with a deployable visor, known as a sunshade, designed to prevent the sun’s light from reflecting off of the shiniest parts of the satellites, notably the antennas. The goal is to decrease the overall brightness of the Starlink spacecraft while in orbit so that they appear as dark as possible in the night sky. SpaceX already launched one of these sunshades on a previous Starlink flight in early June. This is the first launch where the entire fleet will carry the visor.
SpaceX’s new sunshades are a direct response to concerns that have been raised by the astronomy community about Starlink. After the first launch of SpaceX’s satellites, astronomers noticed just how bright the spacecraft appeared in the sky. Scientists grew worried that such a massive constellation of shiny satellites would interfere with their observations of the universe. To observe distant celestial objects, astronomers often rely on taking long-exposure images of the night sky — and a satellite zooming through an image leaves a bright streak that can ruin an observation.
All of the Starlink satellites are equipped with a deployable visor known as a sunshade
Following discussion with leading astronomy groups, the sunshade is the latest solution SpaceX has come up with. The company tried coating one of its Starlink satellites in early January to make it appear darker; that solution didn’t dampen the vehicle enough to allay everyone’s fears. More changes could be on the horizon, too, such as changing how the satellites are oriented when they reach their final orbits.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is slated for liftoff at 1:12AM ET on August 7th out of the company’s launchpad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If all goes well, the two BlackSky satellites will deploy first, just over an hour after takeoff. The Starlink satellites will then deploy about 30 minutes after that. SpaceX is using one of its used rockets for the mission, a Falcon 9 that has flown to space and back four times before. The rocket will attempt to land on one of SpaceX’s drone ships in the Atlantic following the launch, potentially enabling the vehicle to fly for the sixth time. In June, SpaceX set a new record of landing the same Falcon 9 for a fifth time following a flight; the company could repeat the feat with this mission.
So far, weather is looking okay launch, with a 70 percent chance that conditions will be favorable. However, SpaceX does has a backup launch date on Saturday, August 8th at 12:50AM ET. Whenever SpaceX is able to launch, the company’s live stream is set to begin about 15 minutes before takeoff. If you’re awake, check back then to watch the mission live.
Update August 6th, 1:00PM ET: This post was updated to include the new launch date.


theverge--2020-07-08--This is Tinder’s new video chat feature, Face to Face

Tinder is introducing a major new feature today : video calls .
Face to Face , as the company calls its own video chats , doesn ’ t require people to exchange private phone numbers and is rolling out as a test in 13 countries , including in the US in Virginia , Illinois , Georgia , and Colorado , as well as in Australia , Brazil , and France .
Not all members in these states and countries will have access , just a select group .
The team is hoping to see how well the video calls work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the servers handle them , before rolling the feature out more widely , says Bernadette Morgan , senior product manager on Tinder ’ s trust and safety team .
Face to Face differs from other video chat features in a few ways .
For one , both people have to opt in to the call to make it happen .
Once they tap on the video icon in the right-hand corner of the text chat screen , they ’ ll be prompted to opt in to video calls with the other person .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they ’ ll be able to make the call .
They can opt out at any time .
Before calling , both people have to agree to keep the call PG — that means no nudity or sexual content and no references to hate speech , violence , or illegal activities .
Once the call starts , users will see the screen split in half , so the caller can always see themselves as large as the person they ’ re contacting .
Morgan says this was done on purpose so people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and aren ’ t showing anything in the background they might not want broadcasted .
“ We intentionally did this split screen , so you know exactly what you look like on the other person ’ s phone , so you can feel a little bit more comfortable , ” she says .
“ And then also , we are hoping that it promotes conversation .
By having an equal size , you can see the other person [ and ] they can see you , so hopefully it fosters conversations because conversations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to opt in to video calls Once a video call ends , each person is prompted to answer whether they ’ d want to have a call again and are also given the opportunity to report someone if they did something inappropriate .
That said , the team says it has “ no intention ” of recording calls , says Rory Kozoll , the head of trust and safety product .
So if someone is reported , the team seemingly wouldn ’ t be able to revisit the offending content .
Kozoll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lean heavily ” toward trusting user reports and what they say happened .
“ Nothing could happen in a call like this that couldn ’ t happen in any other call , ” he says .
“ So our perspective on it is that we would handle this the same way as if you had had a call through some other app or through your own phone with the person and you reported them to us.
” He declined to give specifics because it ’ s “ complicated , ” and moderation decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basis .
Tinder is testing different tech approaches to moderation User reports are already an important feature for Tinder , although it ’ s led to the abuse of certain users .
Trans women , in particular , say their accounts are unfairly reported and banned by men who target them because they ’ re trans .
Similar issues could occur with video , too , or become even more problematic once images and not just text are involved .
Kozoll said he doesn ’ t want to speak “ too specifically ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police behavior over video calls but that the company is “ exploring a lot of different tech approaches.
” This goes for screen recording and screenshots as well .
Morgan says blocking screen recording on iOS is more complicated than on Android , and the team is “ testing ” this now .
She didn ’ t say whether people could concretely screen record or screenshot .
It sounds like for now , they can .
Video calling is a huge new product launch for Tinder .
It ’ s one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so it has to moderate global conversations in various languages on top of creating the technology actually needed to make the calls seamless and easy .
Elie Seidman , Tinder ’ s CEO , told The Verge last month that the team had been looking into video calling before the COVID-19 pandemic but decided to accelerate its launch because of the lockdowns around the world and the lack of in-person dates .
This feature ’ s success could be critical to Tinder , especially as countries continue to enter various lockdown stages throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have video calling , including Tinder competitor Bumble .
The company launched that feature last year and has seen an uptick in the number of people using it since the pandemic started .
Tinder can likely play catch-up while also facilitating a whole new part of the dating timeline .
Before , Tinder mainly introduced people to each other , but now , it ’ s the place they can go on dates to hang out , which the company is hoping to encourage with features like Swipe Night and in-app trivia .

Tinder is introducing a major new feature today: video calls. Face to Face, as the company calls its own video chats, doesn’t require people to exchange private phone numbers and is rolling out as a test in 13 countries, including in the US in Virginia, Illinois, Georgia, and Colorado, as well as in Australia, Brazil, and France. Not all members in these states and countries will have access, just a select group. The team is hoping to see how well the video calls work from a technical standpoint, like how the servers handle them, before rolling the feature out more widely, says Bernadette Morgan, senior product manager on Tinder’s trust and safety team.
Face to Face differs from other video chat features in a few ways. For one, both people have to opt in to the call to make it happen. Once they tap on the video icon in the right-hand corner of the text chat screen, they’ll be prompted to opt in to video calls with the other person. After they and their match do so, they’ll be able to make the call. They can opt out at any time.
Before calling, both people have to agree to keep the call PG — that means no nudity or sexual content and no references to hate speech, violence, or illegal activities. Once the call starts, users will see the screen split in half, so the caller can always see themselves as large as the person they’re contacting. Morgan says this was done on purpose so people can make sure they still look good and aren’t showing anything in the background they might not want broadcasted.
“We intentionally did this split screen, so you know exactly what you look like on the other person’s phone, so you can feel a little bit more comfortable,” she says. “And then also, we are hoping that it promotes conversation. By having an equal size, you can see the other person [and] they can see you, so hopefully it fosters conversations because conversations are a two-way street.”
Both people have to opt in to video calls
Once a video call ends, each person is prompted to answer whether they’d want to have a call again and are also given the opportunity to report someone if they did something inappropriate. That said, the team says it has “no intention” of recording calls, says Rory Kozoll, the head of trust and safety product. So if someone is reported, the team seemingly wouldn’t be able to revisit the offending content. Kozoll says the team is going to “lean heavily” toward trusting user reports and what they say happened.
“Nothing could happen in a call like this that couldn’t happen in any other call,” he says. “So our perspective on it is that we would handle this the same way as if you had had a call through some other app or through your own phone with the person and you reported them to us.”
He declined to give specifics because it’s “complicated,” and moderation decisions are made on a “case-by-case” basis.
Tinder is testing different tech approaches to moderation
User reports are already an important feature for Tinder, although it’s led to the abuse of certain users. Trans women, in particular, say their accounts are unfairly reported and banned by men who target them because they’re trans. Similar issues could occur with video, too, or become even more problematic once images and not just text are involved. Kozoll said he doesn’t want to speak “too specifically” about how Tinder’s technology will police behavior over video calls but that the company is “exploring a lot of different tech approaches.”
This goes for screen recording and screenshots as well. Morgan says blocking screen recording on iOS is more complicated than on Android, and the team is “testing” this now. She didn’t say whether people could concretely screen record or screenshot. It sounds like for now, they can.
Video calling is a huge new product launch for Tinder. It’s one of the biggest dating apps in the world, so it has to moderate global conversations in various languages on top of creating the technology actually needed to make the calls seamless and easy. Elie Seidman, Tinder’s CEO, told The Verge last month that the team had been looking into video calling before the COVID-19 pandemic but decided to accelerate its launch because of the lockdowns around the world and the lack of in-person dates. This feature’s success could be critical to Tinder, especially as countries continue to enter various lockdown stages throughout the year.


theverge--2020-07-08--Spotify will now make you a custom workout playlist

Spotify knows people are changing up their workout routines during the pandemic , so it ’ s making it easier for them to create playlists to soundtrack their regimens .
The company is launching an interactive webpage called Soundtrack Your Workout that ’ ll let listeners define their workouts and preferences and then will design a playlist for them .
Playlists can be as long as two hours and be a mix of both podcasts and music , or people can keep it to just one or the other .
Listeners can also choose to block explicit content .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( including yoga , lifting , cardio , and walking ) and tell Spotify who they ’ re working out with ( whether it ’ s just themselves or with a friend over a video call ) .
They ’ ll then have to select the “ vibe ” of their workout , meaning whether they “ need motivation , ” feel like dancing , or are zen .
Finally , they ’ ll select the music and podcast genres they want to hear .
My initial test seemed to work well enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and motivational podcasts , too .
The podcasts mostly came from Spotify-owned networks , like Parcast and Gimlet , although it mixed some independent shows in as well .
Spotify already has predesigned workout playlists , but the bigger idea with this product seems to be that they incorporate podcasts and music and change based on your workout .
Personalization is the key .
This also isn ’ t the first time Spotify has attempted a personalized playlist specifically for workouts .
In 2015 , the company debuted a feature for runners that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and build a playlist around it .
It shut the feature down a few years later .
Although this new playlist feature doesn ’ t take BPM into account , it at least factors in the preferences users have and what they ’ re doing to design a playlist specifically for them .

Spotify knows people are changing up their workout routines during the pandemic, so it’s making it easier for them to create playlists to soundtrack their regimens. The company is launching an interactive webpage called Soundtrack Your Workout that’ll let listeners define their workouts and preferences and then will design a playlist for them.
Playlists can be as long as two hours and be a mix of both podcasts and music, or people can keep it to just one or the other. Listeners can also choose to block explicit content. They have to select from eight different workouts (including yoga, lifting, cardio, and walking) and tell Spotify who they’re working out with (whether it’s just themselves or with a friend over a video call). They’ll then have to select the “vibe” of their workout, meaning whether they “need motivation,” feel like dancing, or are zen. Finally, they’ll select the music and podcast genres they want to hear.
My initial test seemed to work well enough, giving me hip-hop songs when requested and motivational podcasts, too. The podcasts mostly came from Spotify-owned networks, like Parcast and Gimlet, although it mixed some independent shows in as well.


theverge--2020-07-08--Amazon Fire TV Live adds virtual pay TV options from Sling, YouTube, and Hulu

Amazon ’ s Fire TV platform is expanding its live TV integration to include several key new services : YouTube TV , Sling TV , and Hulu ’ s live TV offering .
The new services join previously available services , including Pluto TV and Prime Video Channels .
As part of the new integration , live content from each provider will appear in Fire TV ’ s live discovery features .
That includes the Live tab , On Now rows , and Channel Guide .
Amazon has already offered Sling TV , YouTube TV , and Hulu ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through existing apps — what ’ s new here is their inclusion in the “ live TV ” tab .
Sling TV ’ s integration into Fire TV ’ s live discovery features actually began rolling out earlier this year , YouTube TV will start tomorrow , and Hulu ’ s integration will occur over the next few weeks .
Being more deeply integrated into Fire TV is a big deal ; Amazon controls nearly 20 percent of the share of viewing time , according to data from analytical firm Conviva .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Making it easier for customers to access different virtual TV services through Amazon Fire TV ’ s Live integration might bring in more customers for Hulu , YouTube , and Sling .
For Amazon , being able to offer the live integrations also means keeping customers inside its ecosystem instead of in those company ’ s separate apps .
Amazon states that the Live Tab is the second most-visited part of the Fire TV app after the home screen .
The total time spent by people watching live TV via live-streaming apps on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the live TV discovery integration launch , the company noted .
“ We believe the future of connected TV is one that brings live content forward , simplifies the streaming and OTT landscape , and enables customers to discover the programs they want to watch with ease , ” Sandeep Gupta , vice president of Fire TV , said in a statement .

Amazon’s Fire TV platform is expanding its live TV integration to include several key new services: YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Hulu’s live TV offering. The new services join previously available services, including Pluto TV and Prime Video Channels.
As part of the new integration, live content from each provider will appear in Fire TV’s live discovery features. That includes the Live tab, On Now rows, and Channel Guide. Amazon has already offered Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu’s live TV service on Fire TV hardware through existing apps — what’s new here is their inclusion in the “live TV” tab. Sling TV’s integration into Fire TV’s live discovery features actually began rolling out earlier this year, YouTube TV will start tomorrow, and Hulu’s integration will occur over the next few weeks.
Being more deeply integrated into Fire TV is a big deal; Amazon controls nearly 20 percent of the share of viewing time, according to data from analytical firm Conviva. That’s second only to Roku. Making it easier for customers to access different virtual TV services through Amazon Fire TV’s Live integration might bring in more customers for Hulu, YouTube, and Sling.
For Amazon, being able to offer the live integrations also means keeping customers inside its ecosystem instead of in those company’s separate apps. Amazon states that the Live Tab is the second most-visited part of the Fire TV app after the home screen. The total time spent by people watching live TV via live-streaming apps on Fire TV has more than doubled since the live TV discovery integration launch, the company noted.


theverge--2020-07-08--Samsung needs a splashy product for its splashy product launch

The last big tech event I attended in person was Samsung ’ s launch of the Galaxy S20 line of smartphones .
Now Samsung will join everybody else in tech by trying to capture some semblance of that experience and hype in a purely online event with the upcoming Unpacked event scheduled for August 5th .
We are , of course , expecting to see the Galaxy Note 20 lineup announced that day .
Though the rumors initially waffled a bit on what exactly that lineup would entail , more recent leaks point to a Note 20 , a Note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , and a Note 20 Ultra ( which will be ... “ Ultra , ” whatever that means ) .
In addition to the Note 20 line , there are plenty of other Samsung devices that are due for an imminent release .
There ’ s the 5G version of the Galaxy Z Flip folding phone , the Galaxy Z Fold 2 ( rumors point to “ Z ” being Samsung ’ s brand for screens that bend ) , the Galaxy Watch 3 smartwatch , and also new earbuds that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of these devices get announced , then it will be obvious that Samsung is hoping to make a splash with this event .
Not to put too fine a point on it , but the company is broadcasting that intention quite clearly with a literal metallic paint splash on the invite .
As is Tradition , I will now proceed to overanalyze the image provided in a tech invitation .
But while the normal rules require me to guess what products this image portends , instead I think it speaks to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a halo ?
The drooping crown of a deposed king ?
I ’ m just going to with saying it is what it looks like : a splash .
Here ’ s what it means : if the rumors hold true , this summer ’ s Unpacked event will see Samsung throw a bunch of ideas into the water to see what floats .
I get the feeling that Samsung is casting about for a halo device ( something else that image could resemble , maybe ) .
A halo device needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store , but not necessarily be the thing those people buy and walk out with .
Will that be the Note 20 , the Z Flip , or the Z Fold 2 ?
I doubt Samsung itself knows the answer to that .
Me neither — but my pessimistic take is “ Fold 2 or bust.
” Let ’ s just review the contenders .
The Note 20 will surely be fine , but it will be laden with two problems .
First , the spec-chasers will know that it ’ s just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Second , Samsung ’ s big bet this year was on a new camera sensor that has been ... fine at best and problematic at worst .
Samsung was hoping for a generational leap , but instead tripped and has been trying to recover ever since .
Reportedly , the Note 20 won ’ t try to recreate the so-called 100X zoom but it will keep using that problematic 108-megapixel sensor .
Even though Samsung has done much to improve it since the launch of the Galaxy S20 Ultra , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is genuinely better than any other clamshell folding phone ( the main competitor being the new Razr ) , but the big issue I have with it is that it costs too much .
I don ’ t know who ’ s clamoring for it to cost more .
A 5G variant isn ’ t the splash Samsung needs .
The Galaxy Watch ?
It ’ ll be the best smartwatch for Android phones , which given the state of the competition means bupkis .
As for the earbuds , all I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to actually call them “ beans.
” Tech is too self-serious these days .
Give me Ear Beans .
But Ear Beans aren ’ t it either .
Which leaves us with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 ( or whatever it will be called .
I ’ m sure Samsung will throw a 5G in the name there in exchange for a carrier kickback ) .
I had a front-row seat to the disastrous Galaxy Fold launch in April of last year — anytime your phone breaks spontaneously in the hands of several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Samsung did eventually re-release the Fold ( at its sky-high $ 1,980 price ) , but you wouldn ’ t blame the company if it decided to just pull back on that whole folding tablet thing for a year or two .
Nope .
If the rumors are true , the Fold 2 is coming .
Now that is confidence .
Rumors on what it will or won ’ t be are a little more sparse than I ’ d normally expect for a Samsung phone at this stage — a larger outer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I also assume it ’ ll have that ultra-thin glass screen from the Z Flip .
There will be more to the story , but that phone has a better shot at being a halo device than anything else .
Why does Samsung need a halo device ?
Because Chinese phone makers are nipping at its heels for marketshare ( if not outright winning in lots of regions ) and Samsung has staked its reputation on innovation .
You can find a phone with 90 percent of what you get in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — so Samsung really needs to wow you with the other 10 percent .
┏ The best wireless earbuds to buy right now .
I ’ m with Chris Welch on this one .
After bouncing between five different BT headphones ( AirPods Pro , Pixel Buds , Sony 1000XM3 , OnePlus neckbuds , and the Galaxy Buds ) for the past month , the Galaxy Buds are the ones I use the most now — and notably , I use them with my Mac , iPhone , and Android phone .
Would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it ’ s not as much of a priority for me now that I don ’ t commute by train .
I ’ d also like these headphones to switch between devices more seamlessly , but at least they ’ re better than Sony ( nearly everybody is better than Sony in that regard ) .
┏ How I hosted my first charity stream , and how you can host one , too .
Great walkthrough from Bijan Stephen : ┏ A portable display can make working from your dining room table @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gram 17 review : lighter than it looks .
Monica Chin : ┏ I built my own camera with a Raspberry Pi 4 .
This video from Becca Farsace is a treat .
And it will encourage you to go try something weird and new during lockdown .
Watch !
┏ How to convert a PDF file for your Kindle .
┏ This isn ’ t a COVID-19 wave — it ’ s a tsunami .
Mary Beth Griggs has a much better metaphor for what ’ s happening in the US right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your phone and the next pandemic .
Justine Calma on how everything is connected .
Mining for the minerals needed to make your phone puts people in situations that may cause “ spill over ” of viruses from animals to humans : ┏ Microsoft announces Xbox Series X games event for July 23rd .
How many times can you announce a new console ?
┏ Mmhmm turns your boring Zoom call into a Weekend Update-style TV show .
If , like me , you briefly thought “ Oh I could probably pull all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , ” you ’ re missing the point .
The whole key to this software is the ease of the UI , which could democratize different ways of presenting and having video conversations .
I can ’ t wait to try it out .
┏ BMW is going all-in on in-car microtransactions .
Well , I hate this !
Sean O ’ Kane : More from The Verge ┏ There ’ s no quick fix for climate change .
We ’ re so bad at understanding delayed results , as Justine Calma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no one at Quibi understands what Quibi is .
Julia Alexander looks at the moves Quibi could make to survive as everybody ’ s free trial runs out .

The last big tech event I attended in person was Samsung’s launch of the Galaxy S20 line of smartphones. Now Samsung will join everybody else in tech by trying to capture some semblance of that experience and hype in a purely online event with the upcoming Unpacked event scheduled for August 5th.
We are, of course, expecting to see the Galaxy Note 20 lineup announced that day. Though the rumors initially waffled a bit on what exactly that lineup would entail, more recent leaks point to a Note 20, a Note 20 Plus (which will be bigger), and a Note 20 Ultra (which will be... “Ultra,” whatever that means).
In addition to the Note 20 line, there are plenty of other Samsung devices that are due for an imminent release. There’s the 5G version of the Galaxy Z Flip folding phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (rumors point to “Z” being Samsung’s brand for screens that bend), the Galaxy Watch 3 smartwatch, and also new earbuds that are bean-shaped (yes really).
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If all of these devices get announced, then it will be obvious that Samsung is hoping to make a splash with this event. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the company is broadcasting that intention quite clearly with a literal metallic paint splash on the invite.
As is Tradition, I will now proceed to overanalyze the image provided in a tech invitation. But while the normal rules require me to guess what products this image portends, instead I think it speaks to the psychology behind those products. Is it a halo? The drooping crown of a deposed king? I’m just going to with saying it is what it looks like: a splash. Here’s what it means: if the rumors hold true, this summer’s Unpacked event will see Samsung throw a bunch of ideas into the water to see what floats.
I get the feeling that Samsung is casting about for a halo device (something else that image could resemble, maybe). A halo device needs to impress everybody and draw people to the store, but not necessarily be the thing those people buy and walk out with. Will that be the Note 20, the Z Flip, or the Z Fold 2? I doubt Samsung itself knows the answer to that.
Me neither — but my pessimistic take is “Fold 2 or bust.” Let’s just review the contenders.
The Note 20 will surely be fine, but it will be laden with two problems. First, the spec-chasers will know that it’s just a Galaxy S20 with a stylus. Second, Samsung’s big bet this year was on a new camera sensor that has been ...fine at best and problematic at worst.
Samsung was hoping for a generational leap, but instead tripped and has been trying to recover ever since. Reportedly, the Note 20 won’t try to recreate the so-called 100X zoom but it will keep using that problematic 108-megapixel sensor. Even though Samsung has done much to improve it since the launch of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, it’s still worrisome.
The Galaxy Z Flip is genuinely better than any other clamshell folding phone (the main competitor being the new Razr), but the big issue I have with it is that it costs too much. I don’t know who’s clamoring for it to cost more. A 5G variant isn’t the splash Samsung needs.
The Galaxy Watch? It’ll be the best smartwatch for Android phones, which given the state of the competition means bupkis. As for the earbuds, all I want is for Samsung to have the self-confidence to actually call them “beans.” Tech is too self-serious these days. Give me Ear Beans.
But Ear Beans aren’t it either. Which leaves us with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (or whatever it will be called. I’m sure Samsung will throw a 5G in the name there in exchange for a carrier kickback).
I had a front-row seat to the disastrous Galaxy Fold launch in April of last year — anytime your phone breaks spontaneously in the hands of several reviewers, that’s bad. Samsung did eventually re-release the Fold (at its sky-high $1,980 price), but you wouldn’t blame the company if it decided to just pull back on that whole folding tablet thing for a year or two.
Nope. If the rumors are true, the Fold 2 is coming. Now that is confidence. Rumors on what it will or won’t be are a little more sparse than I’d normally expect for a Samsung phone at this stage — a larger outer screen, no stylus, and 5G. I also assume it’ll have that ultra-thin glass screen from the Z Flip. There will be more to the story, but that phone has a better shot at being a halo device than anything else.
Why does Samsung need a halo device? Because Chinese phone makers are nipping at its heels for marketshare (if not outright winning in lots of regions) and Samsung has staked its reputation on innovation. You can find a phone with 90 percent of what you get in a flagship Samsung phone while spending hundreds less — so Samsung really needs to wow you with the other 10 percent.
Verge Deal of the day Apple’s AirPods Pro are $30 off at Amazon Normally $250, the Apple AirPods Pro wireless earbuds are down to $220 at Amazon. Compared to the standard AirPods, these feature better sound quality and noise cancellation. We’ve seen these drop a bit lower in price before, but that’s a pretty rare occurrence. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy . Prices displayed are based on the MSRP at time of posting.
Reviews and how-to
┏ The best wireless earbuds to buy right now. I’m with Chris Welch on this one. After bouncing between five different BT headphones (AirPods Pro, Pixel Buds, Sony 1000XM3, OnePlus neckbuds, and the Galaxy Buds) for the past month, the Galaxy Buds are the ones I use the most now — and notably, I use them with my Mac, iPhone, and Android phone. Would I like noise cancellation? Sure, but it’s not as much of a priority for me now that I don’t commute by train. I’d also like these headphones to switch between devices more seamlessly, but at least they’re better than Sony (nearly everybody is better than Sony in that regard).
There’s no one set of earbuds that is perfect at everything. For general everyday listening, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus are the best wireless earbuds. Got an iPhone? Nothing beats the AirPods Pro.
┏ How I hosted my first charity stream, and how you can host one, too. Great walkthrough from Bijan Stephen:
If you’re planning for your stream to be slightly more elaborate, I think the most important features to consider are length, guests, and a donation thermometer.
┏ A portable display can make working from your dining room table easier. Dan Seifert:
Right now, the Ananta is available through a Kickstarter campaign, with deliveries promised for September of this year. As of this writing, the lowest price you can get the display for is $359, and it is expected to retail for a rather steep $599 when it hits general availability. If you go for the Kickstarter deal, the price is reasonable for how large, versatile, and well the Ananta works. But at full price, it may cost nearly as much as the laptop you’re plugging it into, at which point you have to wonder if it’s worth it.
It’s very unusual to see a 17-inch laptop under four pounds — let alone under three. Couple that with a $1,499 starting price (our model currently goes for $1,699), and you’re looking at a pretty niche target demographic. For that niche, though, this laptop tracks.
┏ I built my own camera with a Raspberry Pi 4. This video from Becca Farsace is a treat. And it will encourage you to go try something weird and new during lockdown. Watch!
Covid-19
┏ This isn’t a COVID-19 wave — it’s a tsunami. Mary Beth Griggs has a much better metaphor for what’s happening in the US right now.
If the virus starts to spread within the isolation zones, though, it should be relatively easy to trace the path it traveled. In the outside world, it’s hard for people to remember where they go and who they interact with, says Angela Rasmussen, a research scientist at the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. If you’re on a tight schedule and living in a central location, like athletes in these environments are, that information is easy to access. “You can work out, not only the number of contacts you’ve had, but the types of interactions you have with those people.”
┏ Tracing the link between your phone and the next pandemic. Justine Calma on how everything is connected. Mining for the minerals needed to make your phone puts people in situations that may cause “spill over” of viruses from animals to humans:
Ultimately, the way humans interact with animals and the environment can have grave consequences for our own well-being. That’s why scientists and public health experts have developed a strategy for addressing the ways in which the health of the environment and all of the people and wildlife living in it are connected. It’s an approach called “one health.”
Tech News
Essentially, the reduction in the color of the blocky tiled interface on the Start menu will simplify it slightly and make it easier to scan for the apps you use on a daily basis. It’s a subtle change, but it certainly makes the Start menu look a little less chaotic and avoids many tiles sharing a similar blue color.
┏ Microsoft announces Xbox Series X games event for July 23rd. How many times can you announce a new console?
┏ Mmhmm turns your boring Zoom call into a Weekend Update-style TV show. If, like me, you briefly thought “Oh I could probably pull all this off with OBS and a little work,” you’re missing the point. The whole key to this software is the ease of the UI, which could democratize different ways of presenting and having video conversations. I can’t wait to try it out.
┏ BMW is going all-in on in-car microtransactions. Well, I hate this! Sean O’Kane:
BMW now wants to take this to a far more specific level. The German automaker announced on Wednesday that all cars equipped with its newest “Operating System 7” software will soon receive an update that makes it possible for the company to tinker with all sorts of functions in the car, like access to heated seats and driving assist features like automatic high beams or adaptive cruise control. And the company unsurprisingly plans to use this ability to make money.
More from The Verge
Inside the company, though, a few dozen developers were building what they describe as one of Magic Leap’s most exciting projects. It’s called The Last Light: an interactive story about a young woman dealing with the death of her grandmother, designed to show the storytelling potential of mixed reality. And crucially, its creators say it’s finished — but they aren’t sure if anyone will ever see it.
┏ There’s no quick fix for climate change. We’re so bad at understanding delayed results, as Justine Calma explains:
“There is this fundamental misunderstanding of the climate system by non climate scientists trying to use trends on a 10 year time scale for climate change, when [with] climate change a 100 or 200-year timescale is relevant,” explains Natalie Mahowald, a climate scientist at Cornell University who was not involved in the study. “All our hard work today, we will not be able to see for 20 or 30 years — this is the crux of the problem,” Mahowald says. “Humans have a really hard time doing something for future generations.”