theverge--2020-04-23--Instacart is hiring even more shoppers and adding ‘wellness checks’ to its shopper app

Grocery delivery platform Instacart says it plans to add 250,000 new workers , is extending the sick pay period for shoppers with COVID-19 , and is introducing new safety measures for workers , including an in-app wellness check .
Instacart announced exactly a month ago it was adding 300,000 new shoppers to meet the huge demand for grocery delivery during the coronavirus pandemic .
It ’ s part of a massive uptick in hiring for “ essential businesses ” that remain open despite widespread stay-at-home orders ; Walmart said it would hire 150,000 new workers and Amazon said it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s new “ wellness check ” is a questionnaire in its app that asks workers if they have negative symptoms .
If workers say they aren ’ t feeling well , the company says they will be directed to contact their health care provider and stop working until they feel better .
The company previously had announced safety measures that included sourcing its own hand sanitizer and providing “ safety kits ” to any shopper who ordered one .
Instacart said today it was making the safety kits available for order via the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website shoppers had been using .
But as the company announces another massive expansion to its workforce , safety measures don ’ t seem to be going smoothly yet .
On Saturday , Wired reported many shoppers were still waiting to receive the safety kits Instacart promised on April 2nd .
According to shoppers Wired spoke with , the process to receive the kits was confusing and cumbersome , involving a glitchy website that left shoppers confused about what they would actually receive and when .
The company says it set up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who order the kits are active shoppers , and says that shoppers have started receiving their kits over the past week .
Last month , Instacart shoppers , who are largely contract gig workers not eligible for benefits , said they would refuse new orders because they did not think the company had done enough to protect them during the COVID-19 outbreak .
The shoppers wanted Instacart to provide protective gear such as hand sanitizer , add a $ 5-per-order hazard payment , and expand its sick leave policy .
Instacart made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopper could order it directly from the company .
But shoppers said they were concerned for their health and that Instacart ’ s measures weren ’ t going far enough .
“ Instacart has become an essential service for millions of families relying on us to help deliver their groceries and household goods in the wake of COVID-19 , ” Apoorva Mehta , founder and CEO of Instacart said in a statement emailed to The Verge today .
“ We ’ re committed to getting back to one-hour and same-day delivery speeds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re continuing to grow our shopper community to meet the surge in customer demand.
” Instacart promised to offer up to 14 days of paid sick leave for workers diagnosed with or quarantining as a result of COVID-19 , and said today it ’ s extending this benefit “ for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis .
”

Instacart’s new “wellness check” is a questionnaire in its app that asks workers if they have negative symptoms. If workers say they aren’t feeling well, the company says they will be directed to contact their health care provider and stop working until they feel better.
The company previously had announced safety measures that included sourcing its own hand sanitizer and providing “safety kits” to any shopper who ordered one. Instacart said today it was making the safety kits available for order via the Instacart Shopper app, rather than the website shoppers had been using.
But as the company announces another massive expansion to its workforce, safety measures don’t seem to be going smoothly yet. On Saturday, Wired reported many shoppers were still waiting to receive the safety kits Instacart promised on April 2nd. According to shoppers Wired spoke with, the process to receive the kits was confusing and cumbersome, involving a glitchy website that left shoppers confused about what they would actually receive and when.
The company says it set up the ordering system so it could verify that people who order the kits are active shoppers, and says that shoppers have started receiving their kits over the past week.
Last month, Instacart shoppers, who are largely contract gig workers not eligible for benefits, said they would refuse new orders because they did not think the company had done enough to protect them during the COVID-19 outbreak. The shoppers wanted Instacart to provide protective gear such as hand sanitizer, add a $5-per-order hazard payment, and expand its sick leave policy. Instacart made its own hand sanitizer and announced any shopper could order it directly from the company. But shoppers said they were concerned for their health and that Instacart’s measures weren’t going far enough.
“Instacart has become an essential service for millions of families relying on us to help deliver their groceries and household goods in the wake of COVID-19,” Apoorva Mehta, founder and CEO of Instacart said in a statement emailed to The Verge today. “We’re committed to getting back to one-hour and same-day delivery speeds, and in order to do that, we’re continuing to grow our shopper community to meet the surge in customer demand.”


theverge--2020-04-23--Amazon reportedly accessed third-party seller data to develop private-label products

Amazon employees have accessed sales data from independent Marketplace sellers to help the company develop competing private-label products , according to a report from The Wall Street Journal .
Past Amazon employees and one current one told the WSJ that rules barring the practice weren ’ t uniformly enforced .
In addition , former Amazon employees said using the sales data from sellers was “ a common practice that was discussed openly in meetings they attended , ” according to the report .
One former employee told the WSJ they knew they were violating the policies : In a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the company has used private seller data to help develop its own products .
“ Like other retailers , we look at sales and store data to provide our customers with the best possible experience , ” Amazon said .
“ However , we strictly prohibit our employees from using non-public , seller-specific data to determine which private label products to launch .
While we don ’ t believe these claims are accurate , we take these allegations very seriously and have launched an internal investigation.
” One former employee said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had previously testified to Congress that it doesn ’ t access sales data from sellers to make its private brands .
“ Our incentive is to help the seller succeed because we rely on them , ” said Nate Sutton , Amazon ’ s associate general counsel , at a July 16th hearing .
“ They have many options .
So we apply the same criteria to both and we do not use their individual data when we ’ re making decisions to launch private brands.
” Amazon has been under scrutiny for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though the Federal Trade Commission hasn ’ t yet opened a formal investigation into the company on the matter .
The FTC has made preliminary inquires into Amazon ’ s deal with Apple to let Apple sell its products on the e-commerce site .
FTC investigators have also interviewed Marketplace sellers about how much of their sales come from Amazon , Bloomberg reported last September .
In February , a coalition of unions petitioned the FTC to investigate Amazon for anti-competitive practices , including its use of Marketplace data .

Amazon employees have accessed sales data from independent Marketplace sellers to help the company develop competing private-label products, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
Past Amazon employees and one current one told the WSJ that rules barring the practice weren’t uniformly enforced. In addition, former Amazon employees said using the sales data from sellers was “a common practice that was discussed openly in meetings they attended,” according to the report.
One former employee told the WSJ they knew they were violating the policies:
“We knew we shouldn’t,” said one former employee who accessed the data and described a pattern of using it to launch and benefit Amazon products. “But at the same time, we are making Amazon branded products, and we want them to sell.”
In a statement to The Verge, Amazon disputed claims that the company has used private seller data to help develop its own products.
“Like other retailers, we look at sales and store data to provide our customers with the best possible experience,” Amazon said. “However, we strictly prohibit our employees from using non-public, seller-specific data to determine which private label products to launch. While we don’t believe these claims are accurate, we take these allegations very seriously and have launched an internal investigation.”
One former employee said they knew they were violating the policies
Amazon had previously testified to Congress that it doesn’t access sales data from sellers to make its private brands. “Our incentive is to help the seller succeed because we rely on them,” said Nate Sutton, Amazon’s associate general counsel, at a July 16th hearing. “They have many options. So we apply the same criteria to both and we do not use their individual data when we’re making decisions to launch private brands.”


theverge--2020-04-23--The auto industry’s fight with the FCC over ‘vehicle-to-everything’ communication is heating up

The auto industry is promising to dramatically expand “ vehicle-to-everything ” communication technology , but only if the Federal Communication Commission rolls back its decision to take away the current airwaves dedicated to that technology .
Vehicle-to-everything ( V2X ) technology is expected to increase road safety by allowing vehicles to communicate with one another , as well as smart infrastructure like traffic signals , to better avoid crashes or other mishaps .
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation , a trade group that represents all of the major automakers and their suppliers , released a statement Thursday vowing to install @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next five years .
But that promise was predicated on the FCC reversing an earlier decision to repurpose the airwaves that have been set aside for V2X communication .
“ This commitment represents more than 50 times the number of devices on the road today , ” said John Bozzella , the group ’ s president , in a statement .
“ This commitment by automakers clearly shows that these lifesaving technologies are ready and can be deployed in significant numbers in the next five years.
” Broadly speaking , V2X allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road conditions In 1999 , the FCC agreed to set aside 75 megahertz of spectrum in the 5.9 gigahertz band for something called Dedicated Short Range Communications ( DSRC ) services , which would be used to improve road safety through V2X technologies .
Broadly speaking , V2X allows vehicles to send and receive messages about road conditions , like speeding cars , weather , or traffic congestion .
It could also help prevent crashes by using that information to make decisions , like applying emergency braking .
Some experts say the wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the adoption of self-driving cars , which could use vehicle-to-vehicle ( V2V ) communications to bolster their ability to “ see ” their environment and make better driving decisions .
But the auto industry was slow to develop V2X technology , and the rollout has been piecemeal .
Mercedes installed V2V equipment in both the 2017 E-Class and 2018 S-Class .
General Motors also introduced V2V in the Cadillac CTS in 2017 .
Other automakers began looking closely at a newer technology called cellular V2X ( C-V2X ) , using existing cell networks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration announced that it was killing an Obama-era mandate that would have required new cars to be equipped with V2V technology .
And last year , tensions escalated when the FCC put out a new plan to use some of the spectrum set aside for V2X to expand Wi-Fi instead .
Calling V2X “ a promise unfulfilled , ” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed to make the lower 45MHz of the band available for unlicensed uses such as Wi-Fi and allocate the upper 20MHz for C-V2X .
Automakers lobbied against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use parts of the spectrum would interfere with connected car technology .
Now the industry is vowing to increase its deployment of V2X technology , but only if the FCC walks back its decision to reallocate portions of the spectrum .
In a statement , the FCC said the auto industry ’ s promises were in effect too little too late .
“ Given that about 17 million new vehicles have been sold in the United States in each of the last five years , this is not an impressive commitment , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Instead , it only reinforces the need for the FCC to reform the use of the 5.9 GHz band so that it is put to its best use for the American people .
”

The auto industry is promising to dramatically expand “vehicle-to-everything” communication technology, but only if the Federal Communication Commission rolls back its decision to take away the current airwaves dedicated to that technology.
Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology is expected to increase road safety by allowing vehicles to communicate with one another, as well as smart infrastructure like traffic signals, to better avoid crashes or other mishaps. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group that represents all of the major automakers and their suppliers, released a statement Thursday vowing to install 5 million pieces of V2X equipment over the next five years. But that promise was predicated on the FCC reversing an earlier decision to repurpose the airwaves that have been set aside for V2X communication.
“This commitment represents more than 50 times the number of devices on the road today,” said John Bozzella, the group’s president, in a statement. “This commitment by automakers clearly shows that these lifesaving technologies are ready and can be deployed in significant numbers in the next five years.”
Broadly speaking, V2X allows vehicles to send and receive messages about road conditions
In 1999, the FCC agreed to set aside 75 megahertz of spectrum in the 5.9 gigahertz band for something called Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) services, which would be used to improve road safety through V2X technologies. Broadly speaking, V2X allows vehicles to send and receive messages about road conditions, like speeding cars, weather, or traffic congestion. It could also help prevent crashes by using that information to make decisions, like applying emergency braking.
Some experts say the wide deployment of the technology could help speed the adoption of self-driving cars, which could use vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications to bolster their ability to “see” their environment and make better driving decisions.
But the auto industry was slow to develop V2X technology, and the rollout has been piecemeal. Mercedes installed V2V equipment in both the 2017 E-Class and 2018 S-Class. General Motors also introduced V2V in the Cadillac CTS in 2017. Other automakers began looking closely at a newer technology called cellular V2X (C-V2X), using existing cell networks to send communications.
In 2017, the Trump administration announced that it was killing an Obama-era mandate that would have required new cars to be equipped with V2V technology. And last year, tensions escalated when the FCC put out a new plan to use some of the spectrum set aside for V2X to expand Wi-Fi instead. Calling V2X “a promise unfulfilled,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed to make the lower 45MHz of the band available for unlicensed uses such as Wi-Fi and allocate the upper 20MHz for C-V2X.
Automakers lobbied against the decision, arguing that allowing Wi-Fi to use parts of the spectrum would interfere with connected car technology. Now the industry is vowing to increase its deployment of V2X technology, but only if the FCC walks back its decision to reallocate portions of the spectrum.


theverge--2020-04-23--Bill Gates says countries will probably use interviews and databases to track the coronavirus

Bill Gates thinks most countries will fight COVID-19 with interview-based contact tracing and a central database to track exposure .
Gates posted a paper today outlining potential pandemic treatments , vaccines , and containment strategies .
He calls contact tracing , which helps identify and isolate people who could spread the virus , an “ ideal way ” to stop the pandemic .
But he downplayed the importance of decentralized tech-only options like those proposed by Apple and Google , focusing on more traditional methods combined with large-scale data analysis .
Gates believes privacy concerns will stop many countries from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea and China .
He also seems lukewarm on Bluetooth-based contact tracing systems , especially ones that operate without experts getting access to the data .
“ If most people voluntarily installed this kind of application , it would probably help some , ” Gates writes .
But he points out that someone can leave the virus on a surface where it ’ s later picked up by another person , even if the two never come near each other .
These systems also require large-scale adoption that can be difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will use the approach that Germany is using , which requires interviewing everyone who tests positive and using a database to make sure there is follow-up with all the contacts .
The pattern of infections is studied to see where the risk is highest and policy might need to change , ” writes Gates .
“ Every health system will have to figure out how to staff up.
” This raises obvious privacy questions and would require huge numbers of interviewers , something Gates acknowledges .
“ Every health system will have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this work is done in a timely fashion , ” he writes .
“ Everyone who does the work would have to be properly trained and required to keep all the information private .
Researchers would be asked to study the database to find patterns of infection , again with privacy safeguards in place.
” While Gates doesn ’ t mention it , Germany is one of the prime drivers of a Bluetooth-based contact tracing initiative called the Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing project .
The system is similar in some ways to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tracking system built into iOS and Android .
But the anonymized data would be held on a central server , while Apple and Google have favored a system that ’ s supposed to store as much data as possible on users ’ devices .
( There ’ s still a lot we don ’ t know about its process . )
Meanwhile , a separate group of experts has proposed a system called Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing .
American health authorities are attempting to rapidly scale up a contact tracing interview system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disease detectives .
Massachusetts recently budgeted for 1,000 people to interview infected citizens over the phone and determine who they ’ ve been in contact with .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also sent contact tracing teams to eight states .
Tracing efforts also depend heavily on having a robust testing system , which the country has been slow to roll out .
Gates ’ views on the pandemic are fairly mainstream , but he ’ s become a target of conspiracy theorists in recent weeks .
Former Trump adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baseless claim that Gates wants to microchip people who receive a novel coronavirus vaccine , misinterpreting a comment the Microsoft co-founder made in a Reddit AMA .
This week , right-wing extremists circulated a list of email addresses and passwords that included members of the Gates Foundation , prompting claims of a hack — but the credentials appeared to be cobbled together from past data breaches .

Bill Gates thinks most countries will fight COVID-19 with interview-based contact tracing and a central database to track exposure. Gates posted a paper today outlining potential pandemic treatments, vaccines, and containment strategies. He calls contact tracing, which helps identify and isolate people who could spread the virus, an “ideal way” to stop the pandemic. But he downplayed the importance of decentralized tech-only options like those proposed by Apple and Google, focusing on more traditional methods combined with large-scale data analysis.
Gates believes privacy concerns will stop many countries from adopting GPS tracking like that used in South Korea and China. He also seems lukewarm on Bluetooth-based contact tracing systems, especially ones that operate without experts getting access to the data. “If most people voluntarily installed this kind of application, it would probably help some,” Gates writes. But he points out that someone can leave the virus on a surface where it’s later picked up by another person, even if the two never come near each other. These systems also require large-scale adoption that can be difficult to get.
“I think most countries will use the approach that Germany is using, which requires interviewing everyone who tests positive and using a database to make sure there is follow-up with all the contacts. The pattern of infections is studied to see where the risk is highest and policy might need to change,” writes Gates.
“Every health system will have to figure out how to staff up.”
This raises obvious privacy questions and would require huge numbers of interviewers, something Gates acknowledges. “Every health system will have to figure out how to staff up so that this work is done in a timely fashion,” he writes. “Everyone who does the work would have to be properly trained and required to keep all the information private. Researchers would be asked to study the database to find patterns of infection, again with privacy safeguards in place.”
While Gates doesn’t mention it, Germany is one of the prime drivers of a Bluetooth-based contact tracing initiative called the Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing project. The system is similar in some ways to Apple and Google’s plans for a tracking system built into iOS and Android. But the anonymized data would be held on a central server, while Apple and Google have favored a system that’s supposed to store as much data as possible on users’ devices. (There’s still a lot we don’t know about its process.) Meanwhile, a separate group of experts has proposed a system called Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing.
American health authorities are attempting to rapidly scale up a contact tracing interview system that may require an “army” of disease detectives. Massachusetts recently budgeted for 1,000 people to interview infected citizens over the phone and determine who they’ve been in contact with. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also sent contact tracing teams to eight states. Tracing efforts also depend heavily on having a robust testing system, which the country has been slow to roll out.


theverge--2020-04-24--The Netflix button is an advertisement masquerading as a product

In today ’ s digital age , it sometimes feels like hardware has taken a back seat to the software that drives our devices .
Button of the Month will look at what some of those buttons and switches are like on devices old and new to appreciate how we interact with them on a physical , tactile level .
It is a bizarre fact of technology that very good products will often have bad things associated with them due to the constraints of money and branding .
Think obnoxious carrier logos and bloatware on smartphones , processor company stickers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and of course , the omnipresent Netflix button on your TV ’ s remote .
It ’ s not just Netflix , of course , but a variety of services that are willing to shell out cash for prominent placement on your remote .
Amazon Prime , Hulu , Sling TV , ESPN+ , Vudu , YouTube , Pandora , Crackle , Rdio , HBO Now , and more all dot the remotes of TVs and set-top boxes .
( Some of those services don ’ t even exist anymore ! )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that it was one of the first to do it back in 2011 , and the ubiquity of its logo on remotes — remains most closely associated with the phenomenon .
There are TVs that cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars , top-quality sets from major manufacturers , that come stuck with these billboards on their remotes .
Why ?
Presumably because it pays well .
According to Bloomberg , as of last year , Roku was charging $ 1 per customer for each button , in what adds up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fees that it can charge services like Netflix and Hulu .
It ’ s a strange form of advertising , almost the opposite ethos of Amazon ’ s now defunct Dash buttons .
Instead of a branded hardware button you ’ ve specifically chosen to get more of your favorite products in front of you , they ’ re hardware buttons that users have no choice in .
Streaming buttons ( for lack of a better term ) can not be changed or remapped beyond their intended purpose , only do one thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ product , and solely exist to sell you on streaming services you might not even have .
Or , at best , convince you to open up a streaming service you do .
Of course , there ’ s a simple explanation for it : it gets TV manufacturers money , and it gets streamers more subscribers and more watch time .
Much like carrier bloatware or Intel Inside stickers , companies wouldn ’ t do these things if they weren ’ t profitable for manufacturers and beneficial to the brands paying for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to me in particular because it ’ s not just a bad piece of software that you have to delete or a sticker to peel off .
It ’ s a physical part of your device — a piece of interactive advertising that you can ’ t disable or remove .
Every time you turn on your TV , you are being reminded of whether you pay for Netflix .
If you don ’ t , pressing the Netflix button will bring you to an otherwise worthless screen that tells you to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worst kinds of hardware buttons — like the original Bixby button on Samsung ’ s phones , which only worked with Samsung ’ s maligned smart assistant whether users liked it or not ( they did not ) , rather than giving software choices for the unchangeable hardware .
In this case , they ’ re paywalled hardware , buttons that don ’ t perform any function at all except to ask you to pay for something .
Of course , there is the flip side of this , which is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and enjoy using it , a Netflix button can be uniquely helpful .
For all its flaws , when you press it , it does exactly what it promises : launches you straight to Netflix , almost like a better , more modern version of an on-demand button on an old cable box remote .
Much like the Bixby button , it ’ s easy to imagine a world where these buttons are truly great , though : where TV companies let you assign your favorite services to buttons ( maybe even with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re that keen on a logo appearing ) .
Many universal remotes offer just that sort of feature , in fact .
But in their current state , it ’ s hard to avoid the fact that streaming buttons are advertising for the services that pay for them , putting making money ahead of actual user experience or design .

It is a bizarre fact of technology that very good products will often have bad things associated with them due to the constraints of money and branding. Think obnoxious carrier logos and bloatware on smartphones, processor company stickers ruining the aesthetics of your sleek laptop, and of course, the omnipresent Netflix button on your TV’s remote.
It’s not just Netflix, of course, but a variety of services that are willing to shell out cash for prominent placement on your remote. Amazon Prime, Hulu, Sling TV, ESPN+, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora, Crackle, Rdio, HBO Now, and more all dot the remotes of TVs and set-top boxes. (Some of those services don’t even exist anymore!) But Netflix — both due to the fact that it was one of the first to do it back in 2011, and the ubiquity of its logo on remotes — remains most closely associated with the phenomenon.
There are TVs that cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars, top-quality sets from major manufacturers, that come stuck with these billboards on their remotes. Why? Presumably because it pays well. According to Bloomberg, as of last year, Roku was charging $1 per customer for each button, in what adds up to “millions of dollars” of monthly fees that it can charge services like Netflix and Hulu.
It’s a strange form of advertising, almost the opposite ethos of Amazon’s now defunct Dash buttons. Instead of a branded hardware button you’ve specifically chosen to get more of your favorite products in front of you, they’re hardware buttons that users have no choice in. Streaming buttons (for lack of a better term) cannot be changed or remapped beyond their intended purpose, only do one thing, take up useful space on your product, and solely exist to sell you on streaming services you might not even have. Or, at best, convince you to open up a streaming service you do.
Of course, there’s a simple explanation for it: it gets TV manufacturers money, and it gets streamers more subscribers and more watch time. Much like carrier bloatware or Intel Inside stickers, companies wouldn’t do these things if they weren’t profitable for manufacturers and beneficial to the brands paying for them.
But the Netflix button stands out to me in particular because it’s not just a bad piece of software that you have to delete or a sticker to peel off. It’s a physical part of your device — a piece of interactive advertising that you can’t disable or remove. Every time you turn on your TV, you are being reminded of whether you pay for Netflix. If you don’t, pressing the Netflix button will bring you to an otherwise worthless screen that tells you to subscribe.
Physical buttons like this highlight the worst kinds of hardware buttons — like the original Bixby button on Samsung’s phones, which only worked with Samsung’s maligned smart assistant whether users liked it or not (they did not), rather than giving software choices for the unchangeable hardware. In this case, they’re paywalled hardware, buttons that don’t perform any function at all except to ask you to pay for something.
Of course, there is the flip side of this, which is that if you do subscribe to a service and enjoy using it, a Netflix button can be uniquely helpful. For all its flaws, when you press it, it does exactly what it promises: launches you straight to Netflix, almost like a better, more modern version of an on-demand button on an old cable box remote.
Much like the Bixby button, it’s easy to imagine a world where these buttons are truly great, though: where TV companies let you assign your favorite services to buttons (maybe even with stickers or fancy displays, if you’re that keen on a logo appearing). Many universal remotes offer just that sort of feature, in fact.


theverge--2020-04-24--Microsoft Word now flags double spaces as errors, ending the great space debate

Microsoft has settled the great space debate , and sided with everyone who believes one space after a period is correct , not two .
The software giant has started to update Microsoft Word to highlight two spaces after a period ( a full stop for you Brits ) as an error , and to offer a correction to one space .
Microsoft recently started testing this change with the desktop version of Word , offering suggestions through the Editor capabilities of the app .
If you ’ re still ( strangely ) on the two-spacer side , you will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Editor feature in Word allows users to ignore the suggestion once , make the change to one space , or turn off the writing-style suggestion .
We understand Microsoft has been testing the feature change recently and it will roll out to everyone using the desktop version of Word soon .
Feedback to the change has been overwhelmingly positive .
The suggestion can still be ignored by two-spacers “ As the crux of the great spacing debate , we know this is a stylistic choice that may not be the preference for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to test with users and enable these suggestions to be easily accepted , ignored , or flat out dismissed in Editor , ” says Kirk Gregersen , partner director of program management at Microsoft , in a statement to The Verge .
Much of the debate around one space or two has been fueled by the halcyon days of the typewriter .
Typewriters used monospaced fonts to allocate the same amount of horizontal spacing to every character .
Narrow characters like “ i ” got the same amount of space as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the “ .
” was needed to make it more apparent that sentences had ended .
Word and many other similar apps make fonts proportional , so two spaces is no longer necessary .
That hasn ’ t stopped the battle over one space or two from raging on for decades , however .
A study on the hotly contested issue supposedly handed the victory to the two-spacers back in 2018 , but many questioned the research and it clearly wasn ’ t enough to convince Microsoft .
Expect to see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone in the coming months .
Congratulations , fellow one-spacers .

Microsoft has settled the great space debate, and sided with everyone who believes one space after a period is correct, not two. The software giant has started to update Microsoft Word to highlight two spaces after a period (a full stop for you Brits) as an error, and to offer a correction to one space. Microsoft recently started testing this change with the desktop version of Word, offering suggestions through the Editor capabilities of the app.
If you’re still (strangely) on the two-spacer side, you will be able to ignore the suggestion. The Editor feature in Word allows users to ignore the suggestion once, make the change to one space, or turn off the writing-style suggestion. We understand Microsoft has been testing the feature change recently and it will roll out to everyone using the desktop version of Word soon. Feedback to the change has been overwhelmingly positive.
The suggestion can still be ignored by two-spacers
“As the crux of the great spacing debate, we know this is a stylistic choice that may not be the preference for all writers, which is why we continue to test with users and enable these suggestions to be easily accepted, ignored, or flat out dismissed in Editor,” says Kirk Gregersen, partner director of program management at Microsoft, in a statement to The Verge.
Much of the debate around one space or two has been fueled by the halcyon days of the typewriter. Typewriters used monospaced fonts to allocate the same amount of horizontal spacing to every character. Narrow characters like “i” got the same amount of space as “m,” so the extra space after the “.” was needed to make it more apparent that sentences had ended. Word and many other similar apps make fonts proportional, so two spaces is no longer necessary.


theverge--2020-04-24--Nintendo confirms 160,000 Nintendo Accounts accessed in hacking attempts

Nintendo is disabling the ability to log into a Nintendo Account through a Nintendo Network ID ( NNID ) , after 160,000 accounts have been affected by hacking attempts .
Nintendo says login IDs and passwords “ obtained illegally by some means other than our service , ” have been used since the beginning of April to gain access to the accounts .
Nicknames , date of birth , country , and email addresses may have been accessed during the breach , and some accounts have experience fraudulent purchases .
Nintendo is now recommending that all users enable two-factor authentication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be using for all of your online accounts .
Passwords are now being reset for affected accounts , and Nintendo is disabling the ability to log into a main Nintendo Account through a NNID .
These older NNIDs were used for 3DS and Wii U devices .
Nintendo ’ s latest Switch console uses a newer Nintendo Account system , which until today could be linked to these older accounts .
Affected users will also be notified via email , and the company is warning that if you ’ ve used the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then “ your balance and registered credit card / PayPal may be illegally used at My Nintendo Store or Nintendo eShop.
” Reports earlier this week suggested some accounts had been breached and people had been using them to buy digital items like bundles of Fortnite VBucks .
Nintendo is asking affected users to contact the company so it can investigate the purchase history and cancel purchases .

Nintendo is disabling the ability to log into a Nintendo Account through a Nintendo Network ID (NNID), after 160,000 accounts have been affected by hacking attempts. Nintendo says login IDs and passwords “obtained illegally by some means other than our service,” have been used since the beginning of April to gain access to the accounts.
Nicknames, date of birth, country, and email addresses may have been accessed during the breach, and some accounts have experience fraudulent purchases. Nintendo is now recommending that all users enable two-factor authentication. That’s something you should be using for all of your online accounts.
Passwords are now being reset for affected accounts, and Nintendo is disabling the ability to log into a main Nintendo Account through a NNID. These older NNIDs were used for 3DS and Wii U devices. Nintendo’s latest Switch console uses a newer Nintendo Account system, which until today could be linked to these older accounts.
Affected users will also be notified via email, and the company is warning that if you’ve used the same password for an NNID and Nintendo account then “your balance and registered credit card / PayPal may be illegally used at My Nintendo Store or Nintendo eShop.”


theverge--2020-04-24--Making macOS run well on ARM processors isn’t the hard part

Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has the confirmation we ’ ve all be waiting for : Apple will reportedly use a 12-core 5nm ARM processor in a 2021 Mac .
There ’ s plenty of time to work out the details , but getting both the rollout and the technical side of this transition right won ’ t be easy .
We watched a generation of pretty bad Windows 10 ARM laptops come out .
Then we got the excellent Surface Pro X , which still has very aggravating software compatibility gotchas .
The forthright and direct way Apple handled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PowerPC to Intel — went really well .
Though I ’ ll admit it ’ s easy to say that now that the complications of that switch are so far behind us .
Still , as I remember it everybody knew what to expect , knew it would take a minute , and was so eager for the switch that they were willing to deal with the hassles it caused .
If you haven ’ t ever watched Steve Jobs ’ 2005 announcement of the Intel switch for Macs , I highly recommend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the transition ’ s necessity , lays out the benefits for users , details how it ’ s going to happen , and makes some jokes in the process .
He ’ s not trying to hide the rabbit , he just explains that Apple hadn ’ t been able to make the computers it wanted to make on the old PowerPC chips .
Making these new ARM chips that Gurman has detailed must be a huge , multi-year effort , but it will all be for naught if the software doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all — on them .
And even then , the truth is that just porting macOS and Apple ’ s own apps over to ARM isn ’ t the hard part .
The hard part is clearly communicating to users and developers what the change will mean to them — and providing them with tools to deal with it .
What software will work , won ’ t work , and will work slowly via emulation ?
What will developers need to do in order to port their apps over ?
Will porting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effort and cost ?
Apple does not like pre-announcing anything , but I ’ m not sure how you effectuate a whole damn processor transition without giving developers a heads up .
In fact , I think it would be utter madness to not give developers a heads-up as early as possible .
Apple was willing to pre-announce and share some basic information on its Mac Pro plans well ahead of that release , so there ’ s recent precedent for pre-announcing .
This year ’ s WWDC would have been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who knows if the online-only version of it will change that plan ( if it was , you know , the plan ) .
Certainly many developers would benefit from one-on-one time with Apple ’ s engineers once the transition is official .
That ’ s just the communication and release strategy .
When it comes to the actual technical solutions , I am sure that there are no easy answers , either .
Windows on ARM has performance issues with emulated apps and straight-up availability issues with apps that don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s entirely possible that Mac on ARM could face similar problems .
And while I am sure Apple was hoping Catalyst apps would be a piece of the puzzle , to date they ’ ve been quite disappointing .
Even with a massive turnaround , they would be need to be just one of many strategies for getting fast apps on the new ARM-based macOS .
There will surely need to be some sort of emulation layer for Intel-based apps .
And I have to assume that the many developer tools Apple has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will smooth the transition for app makers .
Even so , there ’ s a lot of work ahead for Apple and also for app developers , who will have to contend with this new processor architecture at some point .
Hopefully that work will also come with new opportunities .
I would love nothing more than to not hear anybody ( including myself ) complain that Adobe apps are either unavailable or painfully slow because there are so many great , native-ARM alternatives .
There are more questions than answers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what Apple is planning for software compatibility it ’ s hard to even say what the right answers would be in the first place .
So the best I can do is offer some some very unsolicited advice : don ’ t be afraid to Osborne your current Macs , Apple .
You ’ ve got the cash .
Announce as early as you can and go all-out to support developers big and small .
If you want to avoid the stigma Windows faced ( and still faces ) with its ARM version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely flies .
Then take whatever investment you ’ re making in developer tools and developer relations and double it .
There ’ s a marketing term called “ surprise and delight.
” I ’ m sure you ’ ve heard it .
When it comes to switching the Mac to ARM , I ’ d suggest forgetting about the surprise part — it ’ ll make it that much harder to get everybody to the delight part .
┏ Motorola returns to flagship phones with the Edge Plus.. Chaim Gartenberg has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , biggest phone .
The standout feature is the screen that wraps around the sides .
I ’ ve yet to see anybody really nail that idea in a way that didn ’ t ultimately end up being annoying .
But Motorola has always had non-annoying software interventions on Android , so here ’ s hoping it got it right .
The Verizon exclusivity is dumb , though .
I was hoping the Razr exclusivity would be a one-off , but there ’ s clearly some kind of deal here .
I wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it needs it , but as we enter an era of only three big US carriers , I fear we ’ ll also get another era of locked phones and exclusives .
┏ Wi-Fi is getting its biggest upgrade in 20 years .
It ’ s called “ Wi-Fi 6E , ” and the difference from Wi-Fi 6 is that it will support the 6GHz band , not just 2.4 and 5 .
That ’ s all great news , but I have a particular beef with calling it “ 6E.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it got rid of the alphabet soup of a/b/g/etc .
I understand that technically adding another band doesn ’ t technically expand the spec in the way we ’ ve been thinking , but I understand even better that it doesn ’ t matter .
They should have just called it Wi-Fi 7 .
And given what a big deal this extra band could be , it certainly deserves a number .
┏ Google Duo video calls are about to look a whole lot better .
┏ Apple iPhone SE review : everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iPhone SE review , in case you missed it .
My hunch about it being a great value has borne out : it is .
Whatever knocks I have against it ( low-light photography and merely average battery life ) are vastly outweighed by the plusses : fast processor , updates for years , quality build .
The iPhone SE sets a new high-bar for sub- $ 500 phones , one that Android phone makers are soon going to try to clear .
Samsung is making a big , somewhat belated push with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US market , at least , all its marketing heat has been behind the S and Note series , but the A series does huge volume .
There are new ones coming soon .
Then there ’ s also the upcoming Pixel 4A , which like all Pixels has been so thoroughly leaked there isn ’ t much mystery left to it .
Those Android phones will likely beat the iPhone SE in certain categories , but whether or not they can beat it overall remains to be seen .
It won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Combo Touch is the Magic Keyboard for everyone else .
Phil Esposito leads our tech video team , but in his spare time he now reviews iPad keyboard cases .
This one in particular looks pretty good !
If it were available for newer-generation iPad Pros , I ’ d seriously consider it over the Magic Keyboard .
More from The Verge ┏ The jury is still out on Zoom trials .
Zoe Schiffer looks at the issues that arise when trying to hold court ( literally , not figuratively ) on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to travel to Florida to watch historic SpaceX launch .
Loren Grush : ┏ Bird : careless leadership , high turnover , and inappropriate office behavior .
Julia Black has a deep , inside look at a company in utter disarray .
How many times do we have to learn the lesson that “ grow at all costs ” is a recipe for terrible company politics and decisions ?
┏ Apps aren ’ t a reliable way to measure blood oxygen levels .
I can ’ t imagine Apple , Google , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stores for too much longer .
They ’ re wildly irresponsible , providing “ normal ” readings even to those whose levels are low .
Nicole Wetsman reports :

The forthright and direct way Apple handled the last Mac processor architecture switch — from PowerPC to Intel — went really well. Though I’ll admit it’s easy to say that now that the complications of that switch are so far behind us. Still, as I remember it everybody knew what to expect, knew it would take a minute, and was so eager for the switch that they were willing to deal with the hassles it caused.
If you haven’t ever watched Steve Jobs’ 2005 announcement of the Intel switch for Macs, I highly recommend it. He makes a strong case for the transition’s necessity, lays out the benefits for users, details how it’s going to happen, and makes some jokes in the process. He’s not trying to hide the rabbit, he just explains that Apple hadn’t been able to make the computers it wanted to make on the old PowerPC chips.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers, software, and tech by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important tech news of the day from The Verge. You can read an archive of Processor newsletters here and subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here! Subscribe
By subscribing, you are agreeing to receive a daily newsletter from The Verge that highlights top stories of the day, as well as occasional messages from sponsors and / or partners of The Verge.
Making these new ARM chips that Gurman has detailed must be a huge, multi-year effort, but it will all be for naught if the software doesn’t run well — or at all — on them. And even then, the truth is that just porting macOS and Apple’s own apps over to ARM isn’t the hard part.
The hard part is clearly communicating to users and developers what the change will mean to them — and providing them with tools to deal with it. What software will work, won’t work, and will work slowly via emulation? What will developers need to do in order to port their apps over? Will porting an app to ARM even be worth the effort and cost?
Apple does not like pre-announcing anything, but I’m not sure how you effectuate a whole damn processor transition without giving developers a heads up. In fact, I think it would be utter madness to not give developers a heads-up as early as possible. Apple was willing to pre-announce and share some basic information on its Mac Pro plans well ahead of that release, so there’s recent precedent for pre-announcing.
This year’s WWDC would have been a great time to do it, but who knows if the online-only version of it will change that plan (if it was, you know, the plan). Certainly many developers would benefit from one-on-one time with Apple’s engineers once the transition is official.
That’s just the communication and release strategy. When it comes to the actual technical solutions, I am sure that there are no easy answers, either. Windows on ARM has performance issues with emulated apps and straight-up availability issues with apps that don’t work with its emulation. It’s entirely possible that Mac on ARM could face similar problems.
And while I am sure Apple was hoping Catalyst apps would be a piece of the puzzle, to date they’ve been quite disappointing. Even with a massive turnaround, they would be need to be just one of many strategies for getting fast apps on the new ARM-based macOS. There will surely need to be some sort of emulation layer for Intel-based apps. And I have to assume that the many developer tools Apple has been pushing lately (like Swift) will smooth the transition for app makers.
Even so, there’s a lot of work ahead for Apple and also for app developers, who will have to contend with this new processor architecture at some point. Hopefully that work will also come with new opportunities. I would love nothing more than to not hear anybody (including myself) complain that Adobe apps are either unavailable or painfully slow because there are so many great, native-ARM alternatives.
There are more questions than answers, and until we get a better sense of what Apple is planning for software compatibility it’s hard to even say what the right answers would be in the first place.
So the best I can do is offer some some very unsolicited advice: don’t be afraid to Osborne your current Macs, Apple. You’ve got the cash. Announce as early as you can and go all-out to support developers big and small. If you want to avoid the stigma Windows faced (and still faces) with its ARM version, make sure that macOS on ARM absolutely flies. Then take whatever investment you’re making in developer tools and developer relations and double it.
There’s a marketing term called “surprise and delight.” I’m sure you’ve heard it. When it comes to switching the Mac to ARM, I’d suggest forgetting about the surprise part — it’ll make it that much harder to get everybody to the delight part.
Tech news
┏ Motorola returns to flagship phones with the Edge Plus.. Chaim Gartenberg has a first look at Motorola’s newest, biggest phone. The standout feature is the screen that wraps around the sides. I’ve yet to see anybody really nail that idea in a way that didn’t ultimately end up being annoying. But Motorola has always had non-annoying software interventions on Android, so here’s hoping it got it right.
The result is the $999 Edge Plus, which has a 6.7-inch, FHD+ OLED panel, a Snapdragon 865 processor, 5G support with mmWave radios, a 90Hz refresh rate, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, a 5,000mAh battery, and even a 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s also a triple rear camera system, which is led by a 108-megapixel sensor that looks to compete (at least, on paper) with phones like Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra or Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Alpha.
The Verizon exclusivity is dumb, though. I was hoping the Razr exclusivity would be a one-off, but there’s clearly some kind of deal here. I wouldn’t begrudge Moto that deal if it needs it, but as we enter an era of only three big US carriers, I fear we’ll also get another era of locked phones and exclusives.
┏ Wi-Fi is getting its biggest upgrade in 20 years. It’s called “Wi-Fi 6E,” and the difference from Wi-Fi 6 is that it will support the 6GHz band, not just 2.4 and 5. That’s all great news, but I have a particular beef with calling it “6E.” The whole point of Wi-Fi 6 is that it got rid of the alphabet soup of a/b/g/etc. I understand that technically adding another band doesn’t technically expand the spec in the way we’ve been thinking, but I understand even better that it doesn’t matter. They should have just called it Wi-Fi 7. And given what a big deal this extra band could be, it certainly deserves a number.
Reviews
┏ Apple iPhone SE review: everything you need. Here’s my iPhone SE review, in case you missed it. My hunch about it being a great value has borne out: it is. Whatever knocks I have against it (low-light photography and merely average battery life) are vastly outweighed by the plusses: fast processor, updates for years, quality build.
The iPhone SE sets a new high-bar for sub-$500 phones, one that Android phone makers are soon going to try to clear. Samsung is making a big, somewhat belated push with its new A-series phones. In the US market, at least, all its marketing heat has been behind the S and Note series, but the A series does huge volume. There are new ones coming soon. Then there’s also the upcoming Pixel 4A, which like all Pixels has been so thoroughly leaked there isn’t much mystery left to it.
Those Android phones will likely beat the iPhone SE in certain categories, but whether or not they can beat it overall remains to be seen. It won’t be easy.
┏ Logitech’s Combo Touch is the Magic Keyboard for everyone else. Phil Esposito leads our tech video team, but in his spare time he now reviews iPad keyboard cases. This one in particular looks pretty good! If it were available for newer-generation iPad Pros, I’d seriously consider it over the Magic Keyboard.
The double whammy of excellent sound quality and ANC performance makes the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 a formidable pair of earbuds. Then again, at $300, you’d hope for as much, especially since that makes them more expensive than other noise-canceling earbuds like the AirPods Pro ($249) or Sony WF-1000XM3 ($229.99). Sennheiser’s earbuds just about earn this price premium in terms of raw quality, but it’s a shame to see them missing out on features like wireless charging.
More from The Verge
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.
┏ The jury is still out on Zoom trials. Zoe Schiffer looks at the issues that arise when trying to hold court (literally, not figuratively) on Zoom.
Moving the justice system online has had unexpected consequences for the decorum typically expected in a courtroom. Dennis Bailey, a judge in Florida, wrote a public letter calling on lawyers to dress more appropriately, after seeing a male lawyer show up shirtless and a female attorney make an appearance while still in bed. “And putting on a beach cover-up won’t cover up you’re poolside in a bathing suit,” the letter reads. “So, please, if you don’t mind, let’s treat court hearings as court hearings, whether Zooming or not.”
┏ NASA administrator urges people not to travel to Florida to watch historic SpaceX launch. Loren Grush:
The flight will be the first time that American astronauts have launched on US-made space vehicles from American soil since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011.
┏ Bird: careless leadership, high turnover, and inappropriate office behavior. Julia Black has a deep, inside look at a company in utter disarray. How many times do we have to learn the lesson that “grow at all costs” is a recipe for terrible company politics and decisions?
“When you put that crown on a company,” says one former employee, “they owe it to investors and to themselves to grow at all costs. … And when you only focus on growth, you stop focusing on people. … Once that snowball started rolling down the hill, there was no stopping it.”
┏ Apps aren’t a reliable way to measure blood oxygen levels. I can’t imagine Apple, Google, and Samsung leaving these apps in their stores for too much longer. They’re wildly irresponsible, providing “normal” readings even to those whose levels are low. Nicole Wetsman reports:


theverge--2020-04-24--A new iOS text bug is again crashing iPhones

A new iOS text bug has been discovered that causes iPhones to crash .
The flaw involves several characters from the Sindhi language that cause iOS to lock up and an iPhone to crash .
The character string has been circulating this week on Discord servers and Telegram , and The Verge has tested and confirmed that it will crash an iPhone running Apple ’ s latest iOS 13.4.1 release .
You can forcibly reboot an iPhone to get it back into a working state , or simply wait around a minute for the iOS Springboard to recover .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iOS handles notifications in apps , and the best way to protect against people sowing mischief on the internet is to disable notifications from messaging apps .
9to5Mac reports that the latest 13.4.5 beta appears to fix the issue , so it ’ s clear Apple is aware of the problem .
It ’ s been a peaceful two years since the last iOS text bug caused iPhones to crash worldwide .
The previous bug in iOS 11 even disabled access to apps and messages , and involved sending an Indian language ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has struggled with weird iOS text bugs for many years .
Back in 2018 a single link could freeze an iPhone , and a tiny string of text disabled iMessage in 2015 .
Even a 5-second video crashed iPhones a few years ago .
Apple also experienced issues with an iOS 11 bug in 2017 that crashed iPhones , and the company took the unusual step of issuing a significant iOS update just hours after the bug started occurring .

A new iOS text bug has been discovered that causes iPhones to crash. The flaw involves several characters from the Sindhi language that cause iOS to lock up and an iPhone to crash. The character string has been circulating this week on Discord servers and Telegram, and The Verge has tested and confirmed that it will crash an iPhone running Apple’s latest iOS 13.4.1 release.
You can forcibly reboot an iPhone to get it back into a working state, or simply wait around a minute for the iOS Springboard to recover. The flaw appears to mainly affect the way iOS handles notifications in apps, and the best way to protect against people sowing mischief on the internet is to disable notifications from messaging apps. 9to5Mac reports that the latest 13.4.5 beta appears to fix the issue, so it’s clear Apple is aware of the problem.


theverge--2020-04-24--Amazon’s white-collar workers are starting to stand up for their blue-collar colleagues

The Interface is a daily column and newsletter about the intersection of social media and democracy .
Subscribe here .
In November 2018 , more than 20,000 Googlers briefly walked off their jobs to protest the company ’ s lax treatment of executives who sexually harassed their subordinates .
At the time , there was some debate about whether the protest was a singular event that came in response to some particularly outrageous behavior , or whether it portended the rise of a new tech labor movement .
Two years later , after prominent actions by tech company employees related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change and government contracts , it seems clear that it was the latter — and that the movement has accelerated along with the COVID-19 pandemic .
One place where this has been true is Amazon , where employees working in warehouse and delivery jobs face some of the most dangerous working conditions of any tech giant at the moment .
This was true even before the coronavirus began to spread around the world , but it ’ s particularly true now .
Amazon employees have gotten sick , died , and been fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday the company announced its largest outbreak to date , with more than 30 workers contracting the disease at a warehouse in New Jersey .
Amazon denies retaliating against organizing workers , and has implemented measures intended to reduce the risk of workers getting sick during the pandemic .
But those efforts have not satisfied some members of its own white-collar workforce , who have begun to organize on behalf of their blue-collar colleagues .
Those efforts took the form of a digital calendar invitation , the calendar invitation disappeared , and now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shirin Ghaffary has the story at Recode : As Ghaffary notes , the missing meeting is likely to escalate tensions at the company , where leaked emails from earlier this month already showed mounting dissension over the company ’ s treatment of labor issues in its workforce .
As chaos roiled Amazon over the past weeks , I ’ ve often wondered where Jeff Bezos has been in all this .
The CEO has largely avoided working on the day-to-day operations of the company for years , according to a 2018 interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a revealing piece in the New York Times , COVID-19 has drawn him back in — but only gradually , and with little direct communication to the outside world .
On one hand , I ’ m not going to argue that there ’ s a single , “ right ” way the CEO of a tech giant should be spending their time at the moment .
All of them have wrenching , conflicting demands on their day , and deciding what to delegate and what to do yourself is a minefield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On the other , it has been clear for more than a month now that Amazon ’ s most acute crisis is in its warehouses — and the CEO ’ s belated attention to that crisis has had measurable effects .
This anecdote from Weise ’ s story will stay with me for a long time : Something for Amazon ’ s white-collar workers to discuss on Friday , assuming their employer doesn ’ t find a new way to thwart them from getting together .
Jay Rosen is one of America ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week he proposed some great ideas for improving coverage of COVID-19 .
One of them was the creation of what he calls an “ urgency index ” — a dynamic , publicly available list of the most urgent problems a publication covers .
He writes : During an alarming time , the question of how to apportion your worries has never felt more relevant .
And as a reader , we think you ought to know what your journalists are most worried about .
Last year , we published a public guide to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the questions related to technology and democracy that we track most closely .
The idea has always been to update that list as our coverage priorities change , and it ’ s now clear that the most consequential intersection of tech and democracy this year will come in how Silicon Valley responds to the pandemic .
That doesn ’ t mean we ’ re changing our focus entirely — we ’ re still deeply interested in stories about privacy regulation , competition , and the role tech giants will play in the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks it has become clear how all of those stories are now , at least in part , pandemic stories .
And a guide to what we cover ought to reflect that .
So : we ’ re going to build an urgency index , and we ’ d like to get your feedback .
Here ’ s our initial effort to catalog the most urgent problems in the pandemic response as it relates to our coverage here at The Interface .
• Testing .
How can tests become more accurate and broadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country prepare to re-open , where will we put people with new infections ?
• Contact tracing .
Will tech solutions to identifying potential infections through contact tracing aid meaningfully in the response ?
What risks do they present ?
• Labor .
How are tech employers taking care of their workforces during this period ?
• Global recession .
Who is losing their job ?
Which companies are going out of business ?
• Misinformation .
How are tech platforms being used to spread harmful misinformation , hate speech , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they aiding it with algorithmic promotion ?
What harms are resulting ?
• Privacy .
How are tech companies ’ attempting to reduce the impact of the pandemic affecting and potentially harming individual privacy ?
• Competition .
How are tech companies using this period to consolidate their power and eliminate competitors ?
• Elections .
What role are technology companies playing to protect the integrity of our elections during the pandemic ?
• Innovation .
What is Silicon Valley inventing in an effort to end the pandemic or improve our quality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our current top 10 .
Some other things that feel urgent to us include : what can we learn from what other countries are doing ?
What cultural shifts are being accelerated by the global work-from-home culture ?
How do we find ways to laugh and be joyful during this awful time ?
Now it ’ s your turn .
What should we take more seriously ?
What ’ s not as important to you ?
And what ’ s missing completely ?
Just reply to this message , or email casey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll update you next week .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
⬆ Trending up : Twitter will remove misleading COVID-19-related tweets that could incite people to engage in “ harmful activity.
” Tweets inciting people to damage 5G infrastructure , because they believe the rollout of 5G is linked to the spread of COVID019 , are included in the new guidance .
( Jay Peters / The Verge ) ⭐The first version of Apple and Google ’ s cross-platform contact tracing API should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
It ’ s the first phase of a two-part plan to roll out the system , reports TechCrunch ’ s Darrell Etherington : The coronavirus crisis isn ’ t over in Georgia , but Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp has decided it ’ s time to start reopening parts of the economy there anyway .
Tomorrow , gyms , hair salons , barbershops , tattoo parlors , bowling alleys , and nail salons will be allowed to resume some operations .
On Monday , theaters , social clubs , and restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back up as well .
The situation is forcing people to choose between their health and their job .
( Emily Stewart / Vox ) Federal researcher and vaccine development expert Rick Bright says he was removed from his position in the Department of Health and Human Services after objecting to the agency ’ s efforts to push the use of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment .
So far , there ’ s no evidence that the drug , touted by President Trump , can effectively and safely treat COVID-19 .
( Nicole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 21st , a total of 280 startups have laid off 21,609 employees since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic .
The pace of layoffs seems to also have decelerated some , but job cuts among startups continue .
( Mary Ann Azevedo / Crunchbase ) Some Amazon sellers say the company has gone overboard regulating false claims and price gouging .
Legitimate products and over-the-counter medications are getting caught in the net .
( Cale Guthrie Weissman / ModernRetail ) Amazon has been frustrating for many customers to use during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever .
Sales of Amazon Prime memberships in the US increased 10 percent year over year for the weeks of March 16th and March 23rd .
( Jason Del Rey / Recode ) Even as Facebook cracks down on coronavirus misinformation , the platform allows advertisers to profit from ads targeting people that the company believes are interested in “ pseudoscience.
” According to the company ’ s ad portal , the pseudoscience interest category contained more than 78 million people .
( Aaron Sankin / The Markup ) French authorities are demanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow the government to use their technology to engage in contact tracing .
Previously , France had been one of the harshest critics of Big Tech , and fined Google $ 57 million for breaching privacy laws , just last year .
We included an item about this earlier this week , but it ’ s crazy enough that I wanted to make sure to include a separate piece that is specifically about how crazy it is .
( Mike Masnick / Techdirt ) Twitter ’ s trending topics amplified tweets mocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that said “ COVID-19 is a lie.
” Without context , it ended up making the anti-science sentiment seem influential rather than absurd , this piece argues ( Will Oremus / OneZero ) Instacart sent a cease-and-desist order to a website claiming to automatically hunt for free delivery slots on the platform and complete users ’ orders for them .
The website has since been shut down , but it illustrates the lengths grocery shoppers have to go to these days to schedule a delivery .
Six weeks into a nationwide work-from-home experiment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have almost entirely disappeared .
The workday is now three hours longer and people are tired and stressed .
( Michelle F Davis and Jeff Green / Bloomberg ) A group of scholars has asked social media companies to preserve coronavirus misinformation data so they can study how it affects public health .
The group sent a letter urging companies to preserve data even as they remove misinformation .
I really hope Facebook can find a privacy-preserving way to do this , as it seems like the data could be invaluable to researchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) High school students are celebrating prom on TikTok .
They ’ re dressing up , playing music , and trying to participate in a cultural rite of passage that ’ s gone notably apocalyptic in the pandemic .
I feel bad for so many people right now , and graduating high school and college seniors are high on that list .
( Kaitlyn Tiffany / The Atlantic ) Boston Dynamics ’ Spot robot is helping hospitals remotely treat coronavirus patients .
The robot is already in use at one Boston hospital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ expand use of its robots to assist healthcare workers during the pandemic .
( Nick Statt / The Verge ) Shelter-in-place is giving us a glimpse into celebrity homes on Instagram Live and Zoom .
They ’ re ... pretty nice !
( Julia Alexander / The Verge ) Nextdoor and Walmart are teaming up to launch a new “ Neighbors Helping Neighbors ” program to make easier for vulnerable community members to get stuff they need from Walmart .
The new in-app feature will allow Nextdoor users to post to groups associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopping assistance .
( Sarah Perez / TechCrunch ) The family of a man who spoke out against shelter-in-place orders , then died of COVID-19 , had to cancel the livestream of his funeral after his social media posts went viral .
Just an awfully sad story in every dimension here .
( Tasneem Nashrulla / BuzzFeed ) Total cases in the US : At least 852,253 Total deaths in the US : More than 43,000 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New York : 695,920 Total test results ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 200,148 All total cumulative .
Case data from The New York Times .
Test data from The COVID Tracking Project .
⭐ Google announced it ’ s going to require all advertisers to verify their identities before running ads on the platform .
Since 2018 , the company has had this rule in place for political advertisers wanting to run election ads .
Here ’ s Megan Graham at CNBC : ⭐Amazon gathered data on sellers ’ products in order to launch competing merchandise , employees say .
The company has long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it doesn ’ t use information it collects from third-party sellers .
This story has implications for ongoing antitrust investigations into the company .
Dana Mattioli at The Wall Street Journal has the scoop : Facebook is going to display the location of “ high-reach ” Facebook pages and Instagram accounts in order to give people more information about the authenticity of the content in their feeds .
The company says the feature is aimed at keeping election messaging honest .
This is great .
( Ashley Carman / The Verge ) Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in lobbying spend in the first quarter of 2020 .
Facebook ramped up spending 19 percent from last quarter to $ 5.3 million , while Amazon spent 3 percent more than last quarter at $ 4.3 million .
( Lauren Feiner / CNBC ) Snap is planning to raise at least $ 750 million through a private debt offering .
CEO Evan Spiegel said the money will help “ further bolster our balance sheet which will allow Snap the flexibility to continue to invest in the long-term growth of our business , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fischer / Axios ) Zoom has passed 300 million daily Zoom meeting participants .
That ’ s up 50 percent from the 200 million the company reported earlier this month .
The news indicates that the platform isn ’ t suffering too much from its known security shortcomings .
At what point do we start talking about Zoom in the same breath as our other big social networks ?
( I am basically already doing this . )
( Tom Warren / The Verge ) Google Meet ’ s new Zoom-like gallery view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Previously , you were only able to see four people on-screen at a time .
With Meet ’ s new tiled layout , you ’ ll be able to see 16 call participants at once .
( Jay Peters / The Verge ) Automated transcription service Otter.ai now integrates directly into Zoom calls to transcribe meetings on the fly .
During a meeting , anyone on the call can click the “ Otter.ai Live Transcript ” button within their Zoom window to open up the Live Video Meeting Notes .
( Jon Porter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you online during the quarantine .
Today the only thing we would like you to do is send us feedback about our proposed urgency index .
We promise the fun stuff will return on Monday ... if you comply with our demands .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and your urgency index feedback : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

In November 2018, more than 20,000 Googlers briefly walked off their jobs to protest the company’s lax treatment of executives who sexually harassed their subordinates. At the time, there was some debate about whether the protest was a singular event that came in response to some particularly outrageous behavior, or whether it portended the rise of a new tech labor movement. Two years later, after prominent actions by tech company employees related to their employers’ policies on climate change and government contracts, it seems clear that it was the latter — and that the movement has accelerated along with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amazon denies retaliating against organizing workers, and has implemented measures intended to reduce the risk of workers getting sick during the pandemic. But those efforts have not satisfied some members of its own white-collar workforce, who have begun to organize on behalf of their blue-collar colleagues. Those efforts took the form of a digital calendar invitation, the calendar invitation disappeared, and now we have a caper on our hands. Shirin Ghaffary has the story at Recode:
Several of Amazon’s corporate employees are urging thousands of their colleagues to defy their employer by taking this Friday off work en masse to instead gather virtually and discuss how to push for more rights for the company’s warehouse workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, several Amazon employees have told Recode that invitations to the virtual event have mysteriously disappeared from their calendars and inboxes. Workers told Recode they believe Amazon’s management deleted the event in an attempt to quash a growing collaboration between corporate and warehouse-level employees over workers’ labor rights and environmental concerns. Amazon declined to comment when asked if it had deleted the event.
As Ghaffary notes, the missing meeting is likely to escalate tensions at the company, where leaked emails from earlier this month already showed mounting dissension over the company’s treatment of labor issues in its workforce.
As chaos roiled Amazon over the past weeks, I’ve often wondered where Jeff Bezos has been in all this. The CEO has largely avoided working on the day-to-day operations of the company for years, according to a 2018 interview with Forbes. As Karen Weise reports in a revealing piece in the New York Times, COVID-19 has drawn him back in — but only gradually, and with little direct communication to the outside world.
On one hand, I’m not going to argue that there’s a single, “right” way the CEO of a tech giant should be spending their time at the moment. All of them have wrenching, conflicting demands on their day, and deciding what to delegate and what to do yourself is a minefield for anyone in a leadership role.
On the other, it has been clear for more than a month now that Amazon’s most acute crisis is in its warehouses — and the CEO’s belated attention to that crisis has had measurable effects. This anecdote from Weise’s story will stay with me for a long time:
On April 8, when the virus had spread to more than 50 Amazon facilities, Mr. Bezos made a surprise visit to a Whole Foods store and an Amazon warehouse, both near Dallas, which the company filmed. Afterward, he asked other executives why masks, which the company had finally obtained, weren’t being required, according to a person involved in the response. A few days later, Amazon told its warehouse workers that they had to wear masks.
Something for Amazon’s white-collar workers to discuss on Friday, assuming their employer doesn’t find a new way to thwart them from getting together.
Update, 6:01 p.m.: Amazon sent the following statement. It also said that it does not fire workers for protesting working conditions or for organizing.
Our employees are heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items they need in this crisis—we have nearly 500,000 people in the U.S. alone supporting customers and we are taking measures to support each one. We’ve implemented a broad suite of new benefits changes for employees in our operations and logistics network including an additional $2 per hour, 2x base pay for overtime, and paid time off benefits for regular part-time and seasonal employees. We are encouraging those who are unwell to stay home and taking extreme measures to keep people safe in our buildings. Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we are evaluating and making changes in real-time and encourage anyone to compare our overall pay, benefits, and speed in which we’re managing this crisis to other retailers and major employers across the country.
Urgency
Jay Rosen is one of America’s foremost press critics, and last week he proposed some great ideas for improving coverage of COVID-19. One of them was the creation of what he calls an “urgency index” — a dynamic, publicly available list of the most urgent problems a publication covers. He writes:
Think of it as an answer to the question, “what in the public realm should I be most worried about?” Or, “what do we need to be monitoring to stay reasonably well informed during this crisis?”
During an alarming time, the question of how to apportion your worries has never felt more relevant. And as a reader, we think you ought to know what your journalists are most worried about.
Last year, we published a public guide to The Interface that includes a list of the questions related to technology and democracy that we track most closely. The idea has always been to update that list as our coverage priorities change, and it’s now clear that the most consequential intersection of tech and democracy this year will come in how Silicon Valley responds to the pandemic.
That doesn’t mean we’re changing our focus entirely — we’re still deeply interested in stories about privacy regulation, competition, and the role tech giants will play in the 2020 election. But over the past several weeks it has become clear how all of those stories are now, at least in part, pandemic stories. And a guide to what we cover ought to reflect that.
So: we’re going to build an urgency index, and we’d like to get your feedback. Here’s our initial effort to catalog the most urgent problems in the pandemic response as it relates to our coverage here at The Interface.
Testing. How can tests become more accurate and broadly available? Isolation. We parts of the country prepare to re-open, where will we put people with new infections? Contact tracing. Will tech solutions to identifying potential infections through contact tracing aid meaningfully in the response? What risks do they present? Labor. How are tech employers taking care of their workforces during this period? Global recession. Who is losing their job? Which companies are going out of business? Misinformation. How are tech platforms being used to spread harmful misinformation, hate speech, and other bad content? How are they aiding it with algorithmic promotion? What harms are resulting? Privacy. How are tech companies’ attempting to reduce the impact of the pandemic affecting and potentially harming individual privacy? Competition. How are tech companies using this period to consolidate their power and eliminate competitors? Elections. What role are technology companies playing to protect the integrity of our elections during the pandemic? Innovation. What is Silicon Valley inventing in an effort to end the pandemic or improve our quality of life during it?
That’s our current top 10. Some other things that feel urgent to us include: what can we learn from what other countries are doing? What cultural shifts are being accelerated by the global work-from-home culture? How do we find ways to laugh and be joyful during this awful time?
Now it’s your turn. What should we take more seriously? What’s not as important to you? And what’s missing completely? Just reply to this message, or email casey@theverge.com and zoe@theverge.com. We’ll update you next week.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
⬆ Trending up: Twitter will remove misleading COVID-19-related tweets that could incite people to engage in “harmful activity.” Tweets inciting people to damage 5G infrastructure, because they believe the rollout of 5G is linked to the spread of COVID019, are included in the new guidance. (Jay Peters / The Verge)
Pandemic
⭐The first version of Apple and Google’s cross-platform contact tracing API should be available to developers as of next week. It’s the first phase of a two-part plan to roll out the system, reports TechCrunch’s Darrell Etherington:
The second part of the plan is issuing a system update to build in contact tracing at the OS level. Opt-in would be managed on the device, and both Android and iOS smartphones with this toggle enabled would automatically be able to participate in local contact tracing efforts — whether or not they had any specific health agency apps installed. Apple and Google clarified in a follow-up Q&A session about the system that users would still be prompted to download and install a public health app from their local authority should their phone notify them of a possible contact, so that they could get additional info about next steps from a trusted source.
The coronavirus crisis isn’t over in Georgia, but Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has decided it’s time to start reopening parts of the economy there anyway. Tomorrow, gyms, hair salons, barbershops, tattoo parlors, bowling alleys, and nail salons will be allowed to resume some operations. On Monday, theaters, social clubs, and restaurant dine-in services will be able to start back up as well. The situation is forcing people to choose between their health and their job. (Emily Stewart / Vox)
Federal researcher and vaccine development expert Rick Bright says he was removed from his position in the Department of Health and Human Services after objecting to the agency’s efforts to push the use of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment. So far, there’s no evidence that the drug, touted by President Trump, can effectively and safely treat COVID-19. (Nicole Wetsman / The Verge)
As of April 21st, a total of 280 startups have laid off 21,609 employees since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic. The pace of layoffs seems to also have decelerated some, but job cuts among startups continue. (Mary Ann Azevedo / Crunchbase)
Some Amazon sellers say the company has gone overboard regulating false claims and price gouging. Legitimate products and over-the-counter medications are getting caught in the net. (Cale Guthrie Weissman / ModernRetail)
Amazon has been frustrating for many customers to use during the pandemic, but Prime is more popular than ever. Sales of Amazon Prime memberships in the US increased 10 percent year over year for the weeks of March 16th and March 23rd. (Jason Del Rey / Recode)
Even as Facebook cracks down on coronavirus misinformation, the platform allows advertisers to profit from ads targeting people that the company believes are interested in “pseudoscience.” According to the company’s ad portal, the pseudoscience interest category contained more than 78 million people. (Aaron Sankin / The Markup)
French authorities are demanding that Apple and Google ease privacy restrictions to allow the government to use their technology to engage in contact tracing. Previously, France had been one of the harshest critics of Big Tech, and fined Google $57 million for breaching privacy laws, just last year. We included an item about this earlier this week, but it’s crazy enough that I wanted to make sure to include a separate piece that is specifically about how crazy it is. (Mike Masnick / Techdirt)
Twitter’s trending topics amplified tweets mocking a photo of someone holding a sign that said “COVID-19 is a lie.” Without context, it ended up making the anti-science sentiment seem influential rather than absurd, this piece argues (Will Oremus / OneZero)
Instacart sent a cease-and-desist order to a website claiming to automatically hunt for free delivery slots on the platform and complete users’ orders for them. The website has since been shut down, but it illustrates the lengths grocery shoppers have to go to these days to schedule a delivery.
Six weeks into a nationwide work-from-home experiment, the boundaries between work and life have almost entirely disappeared. The workday is now three hours longer and people are tired and stressed. (Michelle F Davis and Jeff Green / Bloomberg)
A group of scholars has asked social media companies to preserve coronavirus misinformation data so they can study how it affects public health. The group sent a letter urging companies to preserve data even as they remove misinformation. I really hope Facebook can find a privacy-preserving way to do this, as it seems like the data could be invaluable to researchers. (Adi Robertson / The Verge)
High school students are celebrating prom on TikTok. They’re dressing up, playing music, and trying to participate in a cultural rite of passage that’s gone notably apocalyptic in the pandemic. I feel bad for so many people right now, and graduating high school and college seniors are high on that list. (Kaitlyn Tiffany / The Atlantic)
Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot is helping hospitals remotely treat coronavirus patients. The robot is already in use at one Boston hospital. The company now has ambitious plans to expand use of its robots to assist healthcare workers during the pandemic. (Nick Statt / The Verge)
Shelter-in-place is giving us a glimpse into celebrity homes on Instagram Live and Zoom. They’re ... pretty nice! (Julia Alexander / The Verge)
Nextdoor and Walmart are teaming up to launch a new “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” program to make easier for vulnerable community members to get stuff they need from Walmart. The new in-app feature will allow Nextdoor users to post to groups associated with their local Walmart store to request shopping assistance. (Sarah Perez / TechCrunch)
The family of a man who spoke out against shelter-in-place orders, then died of COVID-19, had to cancel the livestream of his funeral after his social media posts went viral. Just an awfully sad story in every dimension here. (Tasneem Nashrulla / BuzzFeed)
Virus tracker
Total cases in the US: At least 852,253
Total deaths in the US: More than 43,000
Reported cases in California: 37,866
Total test results (positive and negative) in California: 482,097
Reported cases in New York: 263,460
Total test results (positive and negative) in New York: 695,920
Reported cases in New Jersey: 99,989
Total test results (positive and negative) in New Jersey: 200,148
Reported cases in Massachusetts: 42,944
Total test results (positive and negative) in Massachusetts: 195,076
Governing
⭐ Google announced it’s going to require all advertisers to verify their identities before running ads on the platform. Since 2018, the company has had this rule in place for political advertisers wanting to run election ads. Here’s Megan Graham at CNBC:
Existing advertisers will have 30 days once notified to complete the verification process, since the company is doing the rollout in phases, according to a spokeswoman. If they don’t submit the documents by then, Google said it will suspend the account and the advertiser’s ability to serve ads until they provide it.
⭐Amazon gathered data on sellers’ products in order to launch competing merchandise, employees say. The company has long asserted, including to Congress, that it doesn’t use information it collects from third-party sellers. This story has implications for ongoing antitrust investigations into the company. Dana Mattioli at The Wall Street Journal has the scoop:
Amazon has said it has restrictions in place to keep its private-label executives from accessing data on specific sellers in its Marketplace, where millions of businesses from around the globe offer their goods. In interviews, former employees and a current one said those rules weren’t uniformly enforced. Employees found ways around them, according to some former employees, who said using such data was a common practice that was discussed openly in meetings they attended. “We knew we shouldn’t,” said one former employee who accessed the data and described a pattern of using it to launch and benefit Amazon products. “But at the same time, we are making Amazon branded products, and we want them to sell.”
Facebook is going to display the location of “high-reach” Facebook pages and Instagram accounts in order to give people more information about the authenticity of the content in their feeds. The company says the feature is aimed at keeping election messaging honest. This is great. (Ashley Carman / The Verge)
Facebook and Amazon led the Big Tech companies in lobbying spend in the first quarter of 2020. Facebook ramped up spending 19 percent from last quarter to $5.3 million, while Amazon spent 3 percent more than last quarter at $4.3 million. (Lauren Feiner / CNBC)
Industry
Snap is planning to raise at least $750 million through a private debt offering. CEO Evan Spiegel said the money will help “further bolster our balance sheet which will allow Snap the flexibility to continue to invest in the long-term growth of our business, even if challenging conditions continue.” (Sara Fischer / Axios)
Zoom has passed 300 million daily Zoom meeting participants. That’s up 50 percent from the 200 million the company reported earlier this month. The news indicates that the platform isn’t suffering too much from its known security shortcomings. At what point do we start talking about Zoom in the same breath as our other big social networks? (I am basically already doing this.) (Tom Warren / The Verge)
Google Meet’s new Zoom-like gallery view is rolling out across the globe. Previously, you were only able to see four people on-screen at a time. With Meet’s new tiled layout, you’ll be able to see 16 call participants at once. (Jay Peters / The Verge)
Automated transcription service Otter.ai now integrates directly into Zoom calls to transcribe meetings on the fly. During a meeting, anyone on the call can click the “Otter.ai Live Transcript” button within their Zoom window to open up the Live Video Meeting Notes. (Jon Porter / The Verge)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Today the only thing we would like you to do is send us feedback about our proposed urgency index. We promise the fun stuff will return on Monday ... if you comply with our demands.
And finally...
Talk to us


theverge--2020-04-24--Apple downplays iOS Mail app security flaw, says ‘no evidence’ of exploits

Apple has found no evidence that recently discovered security flaws in the native iOS Mail app were exploited by hackers , the company said in a statement .
“ We have found no evidence they were used against customers , ” the company said .
It also cast doubt on whether the issues , which it admitted were present on both the iPhone and the iPad versions of its Mail app , were enough to bypass the two devices ’ security protections .
Apple ’ s response directly contradicts the claims of security researchers at ZecOps , who said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploit being used against at least six high-profile targets .
The flaws allowed a hacker to infect a device simply by sending it a specially-crafted email and for the victim to open it .
At the time ZecOps said it had “ high confidence ” that the vulnerabilities had been exploited in the wild by “ advanced threat operator ( s ) .
” “ We have found no evidence they were used against customers ” Apple said that the vulnerabilities , which ZecOps claimed date back as far as iOS 6 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its users and will be addressed in a forthcoming software update .
When it originally disclosed the vulnerabilities , ZecOps said that Apple had already addressed the issues in the beta version of Apple Mail .
After the research company ’ s original report , some within the security community — including a researcher at Google ’ s Project Zero — questioned its claims that the issues had been exploited in the wild .
ZecOps had said that unnamed targets included an executive at a mobile carrier in Japan and individuals from Fortune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s full statement can be found below : “ Apple takes all reports of security threats seriously .
We have thoroughly investigated the researcher ’ s report and , based on the information provided , have concluded these issues do not pose an immediate risk to our users .
The researcher identified three issues in Mail , but alone they are insufficient to bypass iPhone and iPad security protections , and we have found no evidence they were used against customers .
These potential issues will be addressed in a software update @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security researchers to help keep our users safe and will be crediting the researcher for their assistance .
”

Apple has found no evidence that recently discovered security flaws in the native iOS Mail app were exploited by hackers, the company said in a statement. “We have found no evidence they were used against customers,” the company said. It also cast doubt on whether the issues, which it admitted were present on both the iPhone and the iPad versions of its Mail app, were enough to bypass the two devices’ security protections.
Apple’s response directly contradicts the claims of security researchers at ZecOps, who said that they’d found evidence of the exploit being used against at least six high-profile targets. The flaws allowed a hacker to infect a device simply by sending it a specially-crafted email and for the victim to open it. At the time ZecOps said it had “high confidence” that the vulnerabilities had been exploited in the wild by “advanced threat operator(s).”
“We have found no evidence they were used against customers”
Apple said that the vulnerabilities, which ZecOps claimed date back as far as iOS 6, do not pose an immediate risk to its users and will be addressed in a forthcoming software update. When it originally disclosed the vulnerabilities, ZecOps said that Apple had already addressed the issues in the beta version of Apple Mail.
After the research company’s original report, some within the security community — including a researcher at Google’s Project Zero — questioned its claims that the issues had been exploited in the wild. ZecOps had said that unnamed targets included an executive at a mobile carrier in Japan and individuals from Fortune 500 companies in North America.
Apple’s full statement can be found below:


theverge--2020-04-24--LG’s Velvet phone is coming on May 7th

LG’s Velvet phone is coming on May 7th

LG ’ s new flagship phone , the Velvet , will be revealed in full on May 7th .
The @ @ @ @ @ clip to its Korean YouTube channel evoking raindrops and a catwalk — a reference to @ @ @ @ @ camera layout and supposedly fashion-forward design .
Of course , LG has pretty much already @ @ @ @ @ out PR blasts on specific features ahead of time as it tends to do with @ @ @ @ @ We know this one has a “ raindrop ” triple-camera setup , a symmetrical curved-glass @ @ @ @ @ processor with built-in 5G , and a headphone jack .
What we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ , and when it might be available outside of South Korea .
LG ’ s @ @ @ @ @ KST , or 9PM ET May 6th .

LG’s new flagship phone, the Velvet, will be revealed in full on May 7th. The company posted a teaser video clip to its Korean YouTube channel evoking raindrops and a catwalk — a reference to the phone’s unusual camera layout and supposedly fashion-forward design.
Of course, LG has pretty much already announced the Velvet, sending out PR blasts on specific features ahead of time as it tends to do with all of its phones. We know this one has a “raindrop” triple-camera setup, a symmetrical curved-glass design, a Snapdragon 765 processor with built-in 5G, and a headphone jack.