theverge--2020-05-14--Elon Musk’s Boring Company finishes digging Las Vegas tunnels

Elon Musk ’ s Boring Company has completed digging a second tunnel underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center , marking the end of the first phase of the $ 52.5 million project to build a “ people-mover ” system to shuttle visitors from one side of the venue to the other .
The first of the two tunnels was finished in February .
Workers will now turn their attention to completing the above-ground passenger stations on either end of the tunnels , as well as a third underground station in the middle of the system .
The people-mover , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Loop , is still scheduled to open to the public in January 2021 in time for the next Consumer Electronics Show — if CES happens , that is .
Construction hasn ’ t been affected by the pandemic Once completed , the people mover will be The Boring Company ’ s first commercial transportation project in operation , following only a test tunnel next to SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne , California .
The Loop is supposed to be able to move more than 4,000 people per hour through the tunnels in a variety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walk that normally takes at least 15 minutes and turning it into a ride that lasts less than two minutes .
The Loop will pack those passengers into Model 3s , Model Xs , and a “ tram ” built on the Model 3 platform that can fit between 12 and 16 passengers , according to Steve Hill , the CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority , who spoke to The Verge this week .
His organization runs the convention center .
Those vehicles will eventually zip through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start off with drivers , Hill said .
After that , the vehicles will follow “ conduit ” and sensors that are being laid in the tunnels — so they ’ ll appear to be autonomous but won ’ t actually be driving themselves .
“ Whenever we get to the point where we know that [ it ’ s safe to let the vehicles drive themselves ] , ” Hill said , “ that ’ s when we ’ ll take that step .
But there is not a deadline for making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the project has so far not been affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic .
But if the 2021 Consumer Electronics show is canceled or delayed , Hill said the LVCVA and The Boring Company will wait until the next available trade show to open the Loop up to the public .
( Though he says there “ might be a car or two available if necessary ” to move “ employees of LVCVA from one end of the campus ” in the meantime . )
The Loop is an “ amenity ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transportation option The Loop is not really meant to serve as public transportation .
Instead , Hill says , it ’ s an amenity for convention-goers , and for prospective customers .
It ’ s also going to be offered as a free service , meaning the LVCVA considers the $ 52.5 million it ’ s spent on the project so far — $ 48.6 million of which has gone to The Boring Company — a sunk cost , according to Hill .
“ It ’ s here for the benefit of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll ramp up capability while [ they ’ re ] here , ” he said .
“ Between those times , it ’ ll ramp way back down to a car or two available if somebody needs one.
” Hill said the LVCVA and The Boring Company will use the time between when the tunnels are completed and when they open to the public to test out the technology .
( “ We certainly would not have attendees of the shows be a part of a test process , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the LVCVA will eventually find a way to use The Boring Company ’ s technology to help support the other transportation options in the city of Las Vegas .
“ We ’ ve got a growing city and growing tourism base and we need all the options that are reasonably available in order to move folks , so we think all of those different options are important to maintain , ” he said .
“ And this is just going to be one more really fun one to add to the list .
@

Elon Musk’s Boring Company has completed digging a second tunnel underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, marking the end of the first phase of the $52.5 million project to build a “people-mover” system to shuttle visitors from one side of the venue to the other. The first of the two tunnels was finished in February.
Workers will now turn their attention to completing the above-ground passenger stations on either end of the tunnels, as well as a third underground station in the middle of the system. The people-mover, which is being formally called the Convention Center Loop, is still scheduled to open to the public in January 2021 in time for the next Consumer Electronics Show — if CES happens, that is.
Construction hasn’t been affected by the pandemic
Once completed, the people mover will be The Boring Company’s first commercial transportation project in operation, following only a test tunnel next to SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The Loop is supposed to be able to move more than 4,000 people per hour through the tunnels in a variety of Tesla vehicles, taking a cross-campus walk that normally takes at least 15 minutes and turning it into a ride that lasts less than two minutes.
The Loop will pack those passengers into Model 3s, Model Xs, and a “tram” built on the Model 3 platform that can fit between 12 and 16 passengers, according to Steve Hill, the CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, who spoke to The Verge this week. His organization runs the convention center.
Those vehicles will eventually zip through the tunnels autonomously, but they will start off with drivers, Hill said. After that, the vehicles will follow “conduit” and sensors that are being laid in the tunnels — so they’ll appear to be autonomous but won’t actually be driving themselves. “Whenever we get to the point where we know that [it’s safe to let the vehicles drive themselves],” Hill said, “that’s when we’ll take that step. But there is not a deadline for making that happen.”
Hill also said that the project has so far not been affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic. But if the 2021 Consumer Electronics show is canceled or delayed, Hill said the LVCVA and The Boring Company will wait until the next available trade show to open the Loop up to the public. (Though he says there “might be a car or two available if necessary” to move “employees of LVCVA from one end of the campus” in the meantime.)
The Loop is an “amenity” for the convention center, not a public transportation option
The Loop is not really meant to serve as public transportation. Instead, Hill says, it’s an amenity for convention-goers, and for prospective customers. It’s also going to be offered as a free service, meaning the LVCVA considers the $52.5 million it’s spent on the project so far — $48.6 million of which has gone to The Boring Company — a sunk cost, according to Hill.
“It’s here for the benefit of the [trade] shows, so it’ll ramp up capability while [they’re] here,” he said. “Between those times, it’ll ramp way back down to a car or two available if somebody needs one.”
Hill said the LVCVA and The Boring Company will use the time between when the tunnels are completed and when they open to the public to test out the technology. (“We certainly would not have attendees of the shows be a part of a test process,” he said.) Ideally, Hill said, the LVCVA will eventually find a way to use The Boring Company’s technology to help support the other transportation options in the city of Las Vegas.


theverge--2020-05-14--Ubisoft now giving out its Assassin’s Creed educational tours of Greece and Egypt for free

Ubisoft is offering free downloads of its educational tours of ancient Greece and ancient Egypt , which are based on the studio ’ s recreations of those worlds in Assassin ’ s Creed Origins and Assassin ’ s Creed Odyssey , the studio announced today .
The tours will be free to claim until May 21st .
You can download Discovery Tour : Ancient Greece and Discovery Tour : Ancient Egypt from Ubisoft ’ s website here , though you ’ ll need a Uplay account to claim them .
Here ’ s what ’ s available in Discovery Tour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : And here ’ s what ’ s you can do in Discovery Tour : Ancient Egypt : The Discovery Tour allows you to roam freely in the beautiful world of Ptolemaic Egypt .
Learn more about its life , habits and customs by yourself , or let historians and Egyptologists guide you on one of the 75 available historical tours they have curated .
My colleague Andrew Webster said the Egypt-based tour felt “ sort of like one of those audio tours in museums — except here you can climb a pyramid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while you learn , ” when he played it in 2018 .

Ubisoft is offering free downloads of its educational tours of ancient Greece and ancient Egypt, which are based on the studio’s recreations of those worlds in Assassin’s Creed Origins and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the studio announced today. The tours will be free to claim until May 21st.
You can download Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece and Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt from Ubisoft’s website here, though you’ll need a Uplay account to claim them.
Here’s what’s available in Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece, according to Ubisoft:
Travel throughout 29 regions and uncover hundreds of stations with tours on 5 different themes: philosophy, famous cities, daily life, war and myths to learn more about history of Ancient Greece.
And here’s what’s you can do in Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt:
The Discovery Tour allows you to roam freely in the beautiful world of Ptolemaic Egypt. Learn more about its life, habits and customs by yourself, or let historians and Egyptologists guide you on one of the 75 available historical tours they have curated.


theverge--2020-05-14--A seventh Amazon employee dies of COVID-19 as the company refuses to say how many are sick

An Amazon warehouse worker in Indianapolis , Indiana , has died of COVID-19 , the company confirmed .
The death brings the known total of COVID-19 deaths at Amazon warehouses to seven , but Amazon ’ s process for notifying workers makes the true number difficult to determine .
Several workers at IND8 first learned of the death through rumors and say management began informing employees more widely only after being confronted .
“ They weren ’ t going to say anything if it wasn ’ t for people asking questions , ” says a worker at IND8 , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of retribution .
Amazon has repeatedly declined to say how many warehouse employees have been diagnosed with or died from the virus .
In an interview on “ 60 Minutes ” that aired Sunday , Amazon senior vice president of worldwide operations Dave Clark called statistics on infections “ not a particularly useful number.
” On Tuesday , 13 state attorneys general wrote to Amazon requesting data on the number of workers who had contracted or died of COVID-19 .
“ They weren ’ t going to say anything if it wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon spokesperson said the company was made aware of the Indiana employee ’ s death on April 30th and immediately notified all employees within the building .
“ We are saddened by the loss of an associate at our site in Indianapolis , IN , ” the company said in a statement .
“ His family and loved ones are in our thoughts , and we are supporting his fellow colleagues in the days ahead.
” In March , Amazon workers criticized the company for failing to notify employees when their colleagues were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now sends text alerts or automated calls when a worker is diagnosed , but the alerts often refer only to “ multiple new cases , ” so workers have been left to tally alerts themselves to figure out the prevalence of the coronavirus at their facility .
At IND8 , workers believe the number is around a dozen .
Jana Jumpp , an Amazon warehouse worker in Indiana , has been collecting alerts sent to workers around the country and says at least 800 Amazon warehouse workers have been diagnosed with the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known death of an Amazon warehouse worker in the state , after a worker was confirmed to have died in Jeffersonville , and it ’ s the seventh in the US .
Workers have also died in Staten Island , New York ; Bethpage , New York ; Waukegan , Illinois ; Hawthorne , California ; and Tracy , California .
It ’ s unclear how the worker contracted the virus , and the employee ’ s name hasn ’ t been released .
Amazon says he was last in the building on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to maintain something resembling normal operations throughout the pandemic .
Faced with a surge of orders , it hired 175,000 new workers and resisted closing US warehouses where workers tested positive .
( So far it has closed only one in the US , a returns-processing facility in Kentucky , after the governor ordered it shut . )
After temporarily stopping deliveries of nonessential goods to its warehouses , it has now lifted restrictions and says delivery times have begun to fall to their pre-pandemic levels .
But workers , activists , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the company ’ s warehouses .
Starting in late March , warehouse employees staged walkouts , calling for facilities to be closed and cleaned after employees tested positive for the virus .
Amazon fired several workers who raised safety concerns , and last week , senators wrote a letter demanding information on the terminations .
Earlier this month , a senior engineer and vice president resigned over the firing of workers who called for improving warehouse conditions .
Amazon has instituted new safety measures , including temperature checks , face masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern is ensuring the health and safety of our employees , and we expect to invest approximately $ 4 billion from April to June on COVID-related initiatives to get products to customers and keep employees safe , ” the company said in a statement .
The company also says infection rates at its warehouses are at or below the rates in the communities where they are located .
But workers at IND8 and elsewhere say cleaning has been uneven and conditions are often too crowded to allow for proper social distancing .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at greater risk .
This month , Amazon reversed a policy it instituted at the onset of the pandemic that allowed workers to take unlimited time off without pay .
( Amazon is set to end another coronavirus policy , an additional $ 2 per hour of hazard pay , on June 1st . )
The leave policy had allowed workers who feared for their safety — and could afford to go without a paycheck — to stay home without being fired for overdrawing their quarterly allotment of 20 hours of unpaid time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 1st , workers say their facilities became far more crowded .
“ Before we had the unlimited UPT [ unpaid time off ] so if people didn ’ t feel safe , they didn ’ t have to come to work , ” said a worker at IND8 .
“ When that went away , we went from having one hundred twenty five people back to four to five hundred people per shift .
It ’ s really crowded.
” That worker and others are concerned the end of the time-off policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to work .
Amazon offers paid leave for people diagnosed with COVID-19 , and partial pay for people with fevers but no test results , but no general sick leave .
This week , workers at IND8 were sent home early when a worker on the floor received a positive COVID-19 test result .
“ Why are we not shut down ?
” The facility was cleaned , but the next shift came in as usual .
For the IND8 workers , the risk feels particularly unwarranted , because they process returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homebound customers .
“ We ’ re not essential , ” said a worker .
“ Everyone ’ s like , why are we not shut down ?
” That worker has received six notifications about positive cases at the facility , but it ’ s unclear how many people those alerts represent .
Trying to get a sense of the risk , she wrote on the Voice of the Associate board , a bulletin for workers to request changes and ask questions , exactly how many cases there have been at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

An Amazon warehouse worker in Indianapolis, Indiana, has died of COVID-19, the company confirmed.
The death brings the known total of COVID-19 deaths at Amazon warehouses to seven, but Amazon’s process for notifying workers makes the true number difficult to determine. Several workers at IND8 first learned of the death through rumors and say management began informing employees more widely only after being confronted.
“They weren’t going to say anything if it wasn’t for people asking questions,” says a worker at IND8, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution.
Amazon has repeatedly declined to say how many warehouse employees have been diagnosed with or died from the virus. In an interview on “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday, Amazon senior vice president of worldwide operations Dave Clark called statistics on infections “not a particularly useful number.” On Tuesday, 13 state attorneys general wrote to Amazon requesting data on the number of workers who had contracted or died of COVID-19.
“They weren’t going to say anything if it wasn’t for people asking questions.”
An Amazon spokesperson said the company was made aware of the Indiana employee’s death on April 30th and immediately notified all employees within the building. “We are saddened by the loss of an associate at our site in Indianapolis, IN,” the company said in a statement. “His family and loved ones are in our thoughts, and we are supporting his fellow colleagues in the days ahead.”
In March, Amazon workers criticized the company for failing to notify employees when their colleagues were diagnosed with the virus. The company now sends text alerts or automated calls when a worker is diagnosed, but the alerts often refer only to “multiple new cases,” so workers have been left to tally alerts themselves to figure out the prevalence of the coronavirus at their facility. At IND8, workers believe the number is around a dozen. Jana Jumpp, an Amazon warehouse worker in Indiana, has been collecting alerts sent to workers around the country and says at least 800 Amazon warehouse workers have been diagnosed with the virus.
The Indianapolis case is the second known death of an Amazon warehouse worker in the state, after a worker was confirmed to have died in Jeffersonville, and it’s the seventh in the US. Workers have also died in Staten Island, New York; Bethpage, New York; Waukegan, Illinois; Hawthorne, California; and Tracy, California. It’s unclear how the worker contracted the virus, and the employee’s name hasn’t been released. Amazon says he was last in the building on April 19th.
Amazon has been determined to maintain something resembling normal operations throughout the pandemic. Faced with a surge of orders, it hired 175,000 new workers and resisted closing US warehouses where workers tested positive. (So far it has closed only one in the US, a returns-processing facility in Kentucky, after the governor ordered it shut.) After temporarily stopping deliveries of nonessential goods to its warehouses, it has now lifted restrictions and says delivery times have begun to fall to their pre-pandemic levels.
But workers, activists, and lawmakers have raised concerns about the safety of the company’s warehouses. Starting in late March, warehouse employees staged walkouts, calling for facilities to be closed and cleaned after employees tested positive for the virus. Amazon fired several workers who raised safety concerns, and last week, senators wrote a letter demanding information on the terminations. Earlier this month, a senior engineer and vice president resigned over the firing of workers who called for improving warehouse conditions.
Amazon has instituted new safety measures, including temperature checks, face masks, and increased cleaning. “Our top concern is ensuring the health and safety of our employees, and we expect to invest approximately $4 billion from April to June on COVID-related initiatives to get products to customers and keep employees safe,” the company said in a statement. The company also says infection rates at its warehouses are at or below the rates in the communities where they are located.
“It’s really crowded.”
But workers at IND8 and elsewhere say cleaning has been uneven and conditions are often too crowded to allow for proper social distancing. Many worry that recent policy changes put them at greater risk. This month, Amazon reversed a policy it instituted at the onset of the pandemic that allowed workers to take unlimited time off without pay. (Amazon is set to end another coronavirus policy, an additional $2 per hour of hazard pay, on June 1st.) The leave policy had allowed workers who feared for their safety — and could afford to go without a paycheck — to stay home without being fired for overdrawing their quarterly allotment of 20 hours of unpaid time off. When the policy ended on May 1st, workers say their facilities became far more crowded.
“Before we had the unlimited UPT [unpaid time off] so if people didn’t feel safe, they didn’t have to come to work,” said a worker at IND8. “When that went away, we went from having one hundred twenty five people back to four to five hundred people per shift. It’s really crowded.”
That worker and others are concerned the end of the time-off policy is pushing people who feel sick to come to work. Amazon offers paid leave for people diagnosed with COVID-19, and partial pay for people with fevers but no test results, but no general sick leave. This week, workers at IND8 were sent home early when a worker on the floor received a positive COVID-19 test result.
“Why are we not shut down?”
The facility was cleaned, but the next shift came in as usual. For the IND8 workers, the risk feels particularly unwarranted, because they process returned merchandise rather than sending out goods to homebound customers. “We’re not essential,” said a worker. “Everyone’s like, why are we not shut down?”


theverge--2020-05-14--The Epic Games Store was down for hours as everyone tried to get GTA V for free

After a more than eight-hour outage , the Epic Games Store appears to finally be back online , meaning you should finally be able to claim Rockstar ’ s smash hit Grand Theft Auto V for free until May 21st .
The Epic Games Store had been counting down to the launch of an unnamed free title at 11AM ET today , and we learned last night that game would be GTA V , thanks to an early tweet posted by Epic Games ’ official Twitter account .
However , when the time came for the deal for the game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Store went down , presumably as people tried to refresh the site to claim the free title .
Epic acknowledged the outage in an 11:05AM ET tweet , and in a 12:58PM ET tweet the company said the store was still experiencing issues : The heavy traffic to the store may have affected other Epic services as well , as an official Fortnite Twitter account said Epic was “ investigating issues ” on PC and Mac and later said there were also issues on iOS and Android .
Epic ’ s Battle Breakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day .
However , according to Epic ’ s status page , both Fortnite and Battle Breakers are now fully operational again .
Epic is letting you claim the Premium Edition of GTA V , which includes “ the complete GTA V story , Grand Theft Auto Online and all existing gameplay upgrades and content , ” according to according to the studio , as well as the Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack , which gives you additional content and $ 1,000,000 bonus cash for GTA Online .
Before snagging your copy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requiring people have two-factor authentication turned on to claim free games .
If you need a guide on how to turn on two-factor authentication for your account , Epic has one you can follow here .
Epic has given away dozens of free titles since launching its PC store in December 2018 , and the company said in January it plans to continue to give away free games through 2020 .
Update May 14th , 8:19PM ET : The Epic Games Store appears to be back online and you should now be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ V .

After a more than eight-hour outage, the Epic Games Store appears to finally be back online, meaning you should finally be able to claim Rockstar’s smash hit Grand Theft Auto V for free until May 21st.
The Epic Games Store had been counting down to the launch of an unnamed free title at 11AM ET today, and we learned last night that game would be GTA V, thanks to an early tweet posted by Epic Games’ official Twitter account. However, when the time came for the deal for the game to go live, the Epic Games Store went down, presumably as people tried to refresh the site to claim the free title.
Epic acknowledged the outage in an 11:05AM ET tweet, and in a 12:58PM ET tweet the company said the store was still experiencing issues:
The heavy traffic to the store may have affected other Epic services as well, as an official Fortnite Twitter account said Epic was “investigating issues” on PC and Mac and later said there were also issues on iOS and Android. Epic’s Battle Breakers mobile game was also experiencing issues during the day. However, according to Epic’s status page, both Fortnite and Battle Breakers are now fully operational again.
Epic is letting you claim the Premium Edition of GTA V, which includes “the complete GTA V story, Grand Theft Auto Online and all existing gameplay upgrades and content,” according to the studio, as well as the Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack, which gives you additional content and $1,000,000 bonus cash for GTA Online.
Before snagging your copy, you should know that Epic is now requiring people have two-factor authentication turned on to claim free games. If you need a guide on how to turn on two-factor authentication for your account, Epic has one you can follow here.
Epic has given away dozens of free titles since launching its PC store in December 2018, and the company said in January it plans to continue to give away free games through 2020.


theverge--2020-05-14--Apple to launch a new iPad and a new iPad mini with bigger screens, says Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple is planning to launch a new 10.8-inch iPad and a new iPad mini with a screen that could be as large as 9 inches , according to a new investor note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo obtained by MacRumors .
The note also mentions a potential 2022 release date for Apple ’ s rumored augmented reality glasses .
The new 10.8-inch iPad will launch in the second half of this year , while the new iPad mini , which will have a screen size that ’ s anywhere between 8.5 and 9 inches , will launch in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both will have affordable price points , says Kuo .
It ’ s unclear exactly how these new iPads might slot into Apple ’ s current iPad lineup It ’ s unclear exactly how these new iPads might slot into Apple ’ s current iPad lineup or if they would be replacing existing models .
The $ 329 iPad , Apple ’ s cheapest , has a 10.2-inch screen , while the $ 499 iPad Air has a 10.5-inch display , meaning that a 10.8-inch iPad would have a larger screen than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iPad mini with an up to 9-inch display would be a big jump from the current iPad mini ’ s 7.9-inch screen .
In addition to the new iPads , Kuo also reported that Apple ’ s augmented reality glasses could launch in 2022 at the earliest .
There have been many rumors about some kind of AR headset from Apple , and The Information reported in November that Apple is actually working two separate devices — an AR headset for release in 2022 and a pair of AR glasses to be released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unclear exactly which of these devices Kuo may have been referring to , if either of them .
Apple just today confirmed that it acquired virtual reality company NextVR , signaling that the company continues to invest in technology that could potentially be used in some kind of AR or VR device .

Apple is planning to launch a new 10.8-inch iPad and a new iPad mini with a screen that could be as large as 9 inches, according to a new investor note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo obtained by MacRumors. The note also mentions a potential 2022 release date for Apple’s rumored augmented reality glasses.
The new 10.8-inch iPad will launch in the second half of this year, while the new iPad mini, which will have a screen size that’s anywhere between 8.5 and 9 inches, will launch in the first half of 2021, according to Kuo. Both will have affordable price points, says Kuo.
It’s unclear exactly how these new iPads might slot into Apple’s current iPad lineup
It’s unclear exactly how these new iPads might slot into Apple’s current iPad lineup or if they would be replacing existing models. The $329 iPad, Apple’s cheapest, has a 10.2-inch screen, while the $499 iPad Air has a 10.5-inch display, meaning that a 10.8-inch iPad would have a larger screen than both of those models. And an iPad mini with an up to 9-inch display would be a big jump from the current iPad mini’s 7.9-inch screen.
In addition to the new iPads, Kuo also reported that Apple’s augmented reality glasses could launch in 2022 at the earliest. In response, YouTuber Jon Prosser said the “Apple Glasses” are actually targeted for a March to June 2021 release. He also claims to have seen them, saying they’re “sleek as hell” with an additional promise to leak them soon.
There have been many rumors about some kind of AR headset from Apple, and The Information reported in November that Apple is actually working two separate devices — an AR headset for release in 2022 and a pair of AR glasses to be released a year later. It’s unclear exactly which of these devices Kuo and Prosser may have been referring to, if either of them.
Apple just today confirmed that it acquired virtual reality company NextVR, signaling that the company continues to invest in technology that could potentially be used in some kind of AR or VR device.


theverge--2020-05-14--Apple’s supply chain is making safety changes to protect workers in response to the pandemic

Apple ’ s global supply chain is making safety changes to better protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic , as outlined in the company ’ s 2020 Supplier Responsibility report .
Sabih Khan , Apple ’ s senior vice president of operations and the person in charge of the company ’ s global supply chain , detailed the changes the company ’ s suppliers are making in a letter at the beginning of the report .
The company has worked with its global supply chain “ on a range of protections suited to the circumstances in each country , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensuring strict adherence to social distancing in their facilities , ” said Khan .
Apple will require the use of personal protective equipment Apple will require the use of personal protective equipment during work and “ in all common areas , ” according to the letter .
Apple has worked with its supply chain partners to implement “ enhanced deep cleaning protocols ” and make masks and sanitizers available to workers , said Khan .
Apple has also worked with suppliers to change factory floor plans and implemented flexible working hours and staggered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maximize interpersonal space , ” he said .
“ From the outset , we worked with our suppliers to develop and execute a plan that puts the health of people first , ” said Khan .
“ Thousands of Apple employees have worked tirelessly to execute that plan in partnership with our suppliers around the world.
” Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly informed employees in April that the company would likely be implementing temperature checks and social distancing when its staffers returned to the company ’ s offices .
Some employees may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after closing all of its retail stores outside the US in mid-March , some stores in Idaho , South Carolina , Alabama , and Alaska will apparently be opened sometime this week , and employees at those stores will be required to take temperature tests and wear masks .

Apple’s global supply chain is making safety changes to better protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as outlined in the company’s 2020 Supplier Responsibility report. Sabih Khan, Apple’s senior vice president of operations and the person in charge of the company’s global supply chain, detailed the changes the company’s suppliers are making in a letter at the beginning of the report.
The company has worked with its global supply chain “on a range of protections suited to the circumstances in each country, including health screenings, limiting density, and ensuring strict adherence to social distancing in their facilities,” said Khan.
Apple will require the use of personal protective equipment
Apple will require the use of personal protective equipment during work and “in all common areas,” according to the letter. Apple has worked with its supply chain partners to implement “enhanced deep cleaning protocols” and make masks and sanitizers available to workers, said Khan.
Apple has also worked with suppliers to change factory floor plans and implemented flexible working hours and staggered work shifts to allow workers to “maximize interpersonal space,” he said.
“From the outset, we worked with our suppliers to develop and execute a plan that puts the health of people first,” said Khan. “Thousands of Apple employees have worked tirelessly to execute that plan in partnership with our suppliers around the world.”


theverge--2020-05-14--Disney Plus is getting a Percy Jackson series as Disney continues to mine its IP for new streaming s

Disney Plus is getting a Percy Jackson series as Disney continues to mine its IP for new streaming shows

Rick Riordan ’ s beloved young adult fantasy series , Percy Jackson , is getting another shot at the live-action treatment seven years after the last film was released — but this time , as a Disney Plus series .
Riordan announced the project on Twitter , adding a note of reassurance to fans who were left livid over 20th Century Fox ’ s original film adaptations in 2010 and 2013 : it wouldn ’ t end up like last time .
Both Riordan and fans of the books , which follow demigod Percy Jackson as he travels around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bolt , haven ’ t hidden their distaste of the two live-action movies .
In a lengthy blog post published in November 2018 , Riordan reiterated that once he “ saw the final script and saw what they were doing on the set , I realized I had to step away for my own peace of mind.
” The author published emails he sent to producers asking them not to make Percy Jackson older ( he ’ s 17 in the films compared to 12 in the books ) , and he also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible writing and use of vulgar language .
Despite those problems , both Percy Jackson movies did adequately at the box office .
Percy Jackson & the Olympians : The Lightning Thief generated $ 226.5 million worldwide , with Percy Jackson : Sea of Monsters pulling in just under $ 200 million worldwide .
Those aren ’ t Marvel , DC , or Harry Potter numbers , but it was clear the interest from fans of the books was there , even if they weren ’ t happy with the final product .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ project , Riordan seemed confident that what occurred with the former films wouldn ’ t happen with the new Disney Plus series .
“ I realized I had to step away for my own peace of mind ” “ We can ’ t say much more at this stage but we are very excited about the idea of a live-action series of the highest quality , following the storyline of the original Percy Jackson five-book series , starting with The Lightning Thief in season one , ” Riordan tweeted in a follow-up statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will be involved in person in every aspect of the show.
” Like other authors ( most notably Alan Moore ) , Riordan quickly realized he didn ’ t have control over the adaption that 20th Century Fox wanted to make .
When Disney acquired 21st Century Fox , Riordan remarked that he wasn ’ t opposed to the idea of a new team taking a stab at adapting the books .
He noted on his blog that he “ would be happy to consult and advise if they want me.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had with the original films are easy fixes for Disney .
The streaming service is targeted at a younger audience , so portraying Percy as a 12-year-old and not using vulgar language is an easy win .
Percy Jackson is also another example of Disney leaning on its big tentpole IP franchises to produce Disney Plus originals .
Beauty and the Beast , Star Wars , the Marvel Cinematic Universe , Monsters Inc. , High School Musical , National Treasure , and The Mighty Ducks are just some of the other big movies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make original series .
Now , that catalog of IP is bigger than ever because of the Fox acquisition .
Percy Jackson is available to Disney now , and although it might not work as a full-fledged live-action movie remake , a series helps build a subscriber base and satiate viewers .

Rick Riordan’s beloved young adult fantasy series, Percy Jackson, is getting another shot at the live-action treatment seven years after the last film was released — but this time, as a Disney Plus series.
Riordan announced the project on Twitter, adding a note of reassurance to fans who were left livid over 20th Century Fox’s original film adaptations in 2010 and 2013: it wouldn’t end up like last time. Both Riordan and fans of the books, which follow demigod Percy Jackson as he travels around the country trying to find Zeus’ lightning bolt, haven’t hidden their distaste of the two live-action movies.
In a lengthy blog post published in November 2018, Riordan reiterated that once he “saw the final script and saw what they were doing on the set, I realized I had to step away for my own peace of mind.” The author published emails he sent to producers asking them not to make Percy Jackson older (he’s 17 in the films compared to 12 in the books), and he also expressed concerns over the script’s terrible writing and use of vulgar language.
Despite those problems, both Percy Jackson movies did adequately at the box office. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief generated $226.5 million worldwide, with Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters pulling in just under $200 million worldwide. Those aren’t Marvel, DC, or Harry Potter numbers, but it was clear the interest from fans of the books was there, even if they weren’t happy with the final product. In his announcement video about the new project, Riordan seemed confident that what occurred with the former films wouldn’t happen with the new Disney Plus series.
“I realized I had to step away for my own peace of mind”
“We can’t say much more at this stage but we are very excited about the idea of a live-action series of the highest quality, following the storyline of the original Percy Jackson five-book series, starting with The Lightning Thief in season one,” Riordan tweeted in a follow-up statement. “Rest assured that Becky & I will be involved in person in every aspect of the show.”
Like other authors (most notably Alan Moore), Riordan quickly realized he didn’t have control over the adaption that 20th Century Fox wanted to make. When Disney acquired 21st Century Fox, Riordan remarked that he wasn’t opposed to the idea of a new team taking a stab at adapting the books. He noted on his blog that he “would be happy to consult and advise if they want me.” Ironically, two of the issues Riordan had with the original films are easy fixes for Disney. The streaming service is targeted at a younger audience, so portraying Percy as a 12-year-old and not using vulgar language is an easy win.
Percy Jackson is also another example of Disney leaning on its big tentpole IP franchises to produce Disney Plus originals. Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Monsters Inc., High School Musical, National Treasure, and The Mighty Ducks are just some of the other big movies and franchises Disney is pulling from to make original series. Now, that catalog of IP is bigger than ever because of the Fox acquisition. Percy Jackson is available to Disney now, and although it might not work as a full-fledged live-action movie remake, a series helps build a subscriber base and satiate viewers.


theverge--2020-05-14--Apple supplier TSMC is reportedly building an Arizona chip plant

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. ( TSMC ) , which makes Apple ’ s A-series chips , plans to build an advanced chip factory in Arizona , The Wall Street Journal reported .
The plant would make 5-nanometer transistor chips for TSMC , which the company has been testing with customers in Taiwan over the past several months , the report states .
TSMC ’ s board made the decision to build the plant earlier this week at a meeting in Taiwan and may officially announced the plans as early as Friday , according to the WSJ .
The plans call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chips by the end of 2023 .
It ’ s not yet clear what financial incentives the company may receive from state or federal government , but the WSJ reports that the State and Commerce departments are involved in the plans .
In addition to Apple , TSMC counts Nvidia and Huawei among its clients .
Bloomberg notes that a chip factory is expensive to build ; TSMC spent $ 17 billion on a new plant in Tainan , Taiwan , which is slated to begin production on iPhone components this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ working on the production of Macs with its own chips instead of relying on Intel , with one report last month suggesting TSMC would produce the chips based on a 5-nanometer fabrication process , like the Arizona plant would reportedly use .

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which makes Apple’s A-series chips, plans to build an advanced chip factory in Arizona. The news was first reported yesterday by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by TSMC today.
The plant will make 5-nanometer transistor chips for TSMC, which the company has reportedly been testing with customers in Taiwan over the past several months. TSMC says the facility will create over 1,600 “high-tech professional jobs,” with construction due to start in 2021 and production slated to begin in 2024. TSMC says its total spend on the plant will be around $12 billion from 2021 to 2029. The company already operates a fabrication factory in Camas, Washington and design centers in Texas and California.
It’s not yet clear what financial incentives the company may receive from state or federal government, but the WSJ reports that the State and Commerce departments are involved in the plans. In addition to Apple, TSMC counts Nvidia and Huawei among its clients.
Bloomberg notes that a chip factory is expensive to build; TSMC spent $17 billion on a new plant in Tainan, Taiwan, which is slated to begin production on iPhone components this year. Apple has long been rumored to be working on the production of Macs with its own chips instead of relying on Intel, with one report last month suggesting TSMC would produce the chips based on a 5-nanometer fabrication process, like the Arizona plant would reportedly use.


theverge--2020-05-14--Watch 18 minutes of new Ghost of Tsushima gameplay footage

Sucker Punch Productions has released a new 18-minute gameplay trailer for its upcoming open-world samurai game Ghost of Tsushima , showcasing exploration , combat , and customization elements of the game .
The new trailer marks the first real footage of Ghost of Tsushima that Sucker Punch has shown since E3 2018 when the studio first showcased the game ’ s mix of swordplay and stealth .
Since then , Sucker Punch has also released a story trailer introducing players to the main protagonist , Jin Sakai .
The footage shows off aspects of exploration of the island of Tsushima @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summon a ghost and freely travel around the world .
A gameplay element lets players summon a gust a wind to direct them toward their goal as an unobtrusive guide .
Players can also be guided toward secrets in the open world by animals — like foxes or birds — leading them to hidden shrines or collectibles .
The open-world also looks gorgeous , with bamboo forests , open plains , tall mountains , and fields of swirling flower petals for players to explore .
The trailer also better introduces players to Jin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be playing as in Ghost of Tsushima .
Combat is said to be inspired by samurai films , with one-on-one standoffs against other warriors that resolve in quick , single-blow strikes and parries .
Players will have the choice to play “ honorably ” as a samurai or use stealth and assassinations to play as the titular “ ghost ” to fight the invading Mongols .
To add to the cinematic aspect of the game , players will be able to play the entirety of Ghost of Tsushima with a fully subtitled Japanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black-and-white film grain filter designed to make it feel more like a classic samurai film .
Ghost of Tsushima will be out for the PlayStation 4 on July 17th .

Sucker Punch Productions has released a new 18-minute gameplay trailer for its upcoming open-world samurai game Ghost of Tsushima, showcasing exploration, combat, and customization elements of the game.
The new trailer marks the first real footage of Ghost of Tsushima that Sucker Punch has shown since E3 2018 when the studio first showcased the game’s mix of swordplay and stealth. Since then, Sucker Punch has also released a story trailer introducing players to the main protagonist, Jin Sakai.
The footage shows off aspects of exploration of the island of Tsushima, where players will be able to summon a ghost and freely travel around the world. A gameplay element lets players summon a gust a wind to direct them toward their goal as an unobtrusive guide. Players can also be guided toward secrets in the open world by animals — like foxes or birds — leading them to hidden shrines or collectibles. The open-world also looks gorgeous, with bamboo forests, open plains, tall mountains, and fields of swirling flower petals for players to explore.
The trailer also better introduces players to Jin, the samurai hero they’ll be playing as in Ghost of Tsushima. Combat is said to be inspired by samurai films, with one-on-one standoffs against other warriors that resolve in quick, single-blow strikes and parries. Players will have the choice to play “honorably” as a samurai or use stealth and assassinations to play as the titular “ghost” to fight the invading Mongols.
To add to the cinematic aspect of the game, players will be able to play the entirety of Ghost of Tsushima with a fully subtitled Japanese voice track, along with an optional black-and-white film grain filter designed to make it feel more like a classic samurai film.


theverge--2020-05-14--US Postal Service delays next-generation mail truck program due to pandemic

The United States Postal Service ( USPS ) is pushing back the deadline for official bids to make its next-generation mail truck because of “ the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Postal Service and supplier operations.
” The delay , which was first reported by Trucks.com , comes as the Postal Service is seeking billions of dollars in emergency funding as part of the Trump administration ’ s Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act .
The deadline for bids was supposed to be March 27th , but is now July 14th , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to $ 6 billion in contracts to one or multiple bidders , and it ’ s expected to result in the manufacturing of nearly 200,000 new mail trucks .
Some of the bidders have been working on all-electric versions , others have explored hybrid options , and one — a joint effort from Ford and military vehicle manufacturer Oshkosh — is working on a gas-powered version .
The program to replace the USPS ’ s current trucks was launched in 2015 .
But it has dragged on , forcing the Postal Service to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their expected life span — despite the fact that they were introduced in the late 1980s and early 1990s , and lack features like air conditioning .
Two of the original six companies have dropped out .
The current trucks are past their expiration date One of the four remaining companies is Workhorse , a struggling electric vehicle startup that has many of its eggs in the USPS contract basket .
Founded in 1998 as a commercial van manufacturer , it was bought by trucking giant Navistar in 2005 , which eventually shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a company focused on retrofitting combustion engine cars with EV powertrains , bought the IP in 2013 and assumed the Workhorse name .
The new Workhorse developed electric ( and electric-assisted ) commercial trucks and vans , some of which were bought by the likes of Ryder and UPS .
The company also expanded into drones and started working on an electric pickup truck .
But as sales of the trucks and vans dried up , Workhorse has taken on big loans from multiple investment firms to stay alive .
It sold off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EV pickup truck IP to its former CEO , whose new startup Lordstown Motors bought an old General Motors plant .
Workhorse , which received more than $ 1 million as part of the coronavirus Paycheck Protection Program , even recently bought out its partner in the mail truck program ( trucking manufacturer VT Hackney ) in order to keep its bid alive .
The other remaining competitors include the North American arm of Indian conglomerate Mahindra , which is working on both a combustion engine and a hybrid mail truck .
Karsan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is working with Michigan-based USPS supplier Morgan Olson on a plug-in hybrid mail truck .
Amazon , which relies on the USPS but has been steadily building a proprietary delivery infrastructure for years , is undergoing its own major push to electrify its fleet .
The company has ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans from EV startup Rivian as part of a big investment announced last year .

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is pushing back the deadline for official bids to make its next-generation mail truck because of “the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Postal Service and supplier operations.” The delay, which was first reported by Trucks.com, comes as the Postal Service is seeking billions of dollars in emergency funding as part of the Trump administration’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
The deadline for bids was supposed to be March 27th, but is now July 14th, according to the USPS. The program could award up to $6 billion in contracts to one or multiple bidders, and it’s expected to result in the manufacturing of nearly 200,000 new mail trucks. Some of the bidders have been working on all-electric versions, others have explored hybrid options, and one — a joint effort from Ford and military vehicle manufacturer Oshkosh — is working on a gas-powered version.
The program to replace the USPS’s current trucks was launched in 2015. But it has dragged on, forcing the Postal Service to keep its current trucks in service past their expected life span — despite the fact that they were introduced in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and lack features like air conditioning. Two of the original six companies have dropped out.
The current trucks are past their expiration date
One of the four remaining companies is Workhorse, a struggling electric vehicle startup that has many of its eggs in the USPS contract basket. Founded in 1998 as a commercial van manufacturer, it was bought by trucking giant Navistar in 2005, which eventually shut it down. AMP Electric Vehicles, a company focused on retrofitting combustion engine cars with EV powertrains, bought the IP in 2013 and assumed the Workhorse name.
The new Workhorse developed electric (and electric-assisted) commercial trucks and vans, some of which were bought by the likes of Ryder and UPS. The company also expanded into drones and started working on an electric pickup truck. But as sales of the trucks and vans dried up, Workhorse has taken on big loans from multiple investment firms to stay alive. It sold off its drone division, and sold the EV pickup truck IP to its former CEO, whose new startup Lordstown Motors bought an old General Motors plant. Workhorse, which received more than $1 million as part of the coronavirus Paycheck Protection Program, even recently bought out its partner in the mail truck program (trucking manufacturer VT Hackney) in order to keep its bid alive.
The other remaining competitors include the North American arm of Indian conglomerate Mahindra, which is working on both a combustion engine and a hybrid mail truck. Karsan, a Turkish commercial vehicle manufacturer, is working with Michigan-based USPS supplier Morgan Olson on a plug-in hybrid mail truck.


theverge--2020-05-14--Facebook’s 50-person Zoom alternative, Messenger Rooms, is now available

Facebook ’ s new video chat product , Messenger Rooms , is now available to everyone on both mobile and desktop , the company announced on Thursday .
The product is a more feature-rich and expanded version of the existing Facebook Messenger ’ s video calling function , and it allows up to 50 people to chat on video with no time limit through either the main Facebook app or through the dedicated Messenger one .
Facebook says you can set limits on who can join , or you can make it public to anyone with the link even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account .
“ You can start and share rooms on Facebook through News Feed , Groups and Events , so it ’ s easy for you to drop by whenever you want , ” writes Stan Chudnovsky , Facebook ’ s vice president of Messenger , in a blog post published today .
“ You can choose who can see and join your room or remove people from your room and lock the room if you don ’ t want anyone else to join.
” You can still use Messenger to perform one-on-one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and group video chats just as you could before .
But now , if you tap over to the “ People ” section of Messenger , you ’ ll have the option to create a room .
From there , you can set parameters like the function of the room — “ hanging out ” or “ happy hour , ” among other choices , as well as a custom option — and who ’ s allowed in .
You can do the same from the top of the Facebook News Feed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make the room available to any of your friends and anyone with whom you share the link or pick specific people on your friends list who will then get personal Messenger invites from you .
If you decide to make it public to your entire friends list , it will show up at the top of the News Feed for your entire network , so beware of doing that on accident .
And definitely be cautious about where you put the link .
Messenger Rooms is a powerful product , but beware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wide Facebook is promoting the new product in its main app with a carousel of cards at the top of the screen that lists various friends ’ faces and the option to “ Say Hi.
” Tapping any one card will give you the option to create a room with that person or message them directly on Messenger .
In my brief time experimenting with the live product , I found it somewhat confusing , albeit powerful from a technical standpoint .
The quality is solid , and there are some great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backgrounds .
So I can see the potential here , but I ’ m also wary of leaving my room open without ending it , which you have to do manually , or accidentally opening up a group video chat with more than 500 people , many of whom I don ’ t interact with at all anymore .
For Facebook ’ s broader business , Messenger Rooms is an opportunity for it to reposition its messaging products as more familiar and well-polished versions of popular video chat alternatives .
Facebook says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it does on WhatsApp , but it says it will not view or listen to calls , just as it doesn ’ t do on Messenger .
The company is also advising users to report rooms where illicit behavior is taking place .
So far , teleconferencing app Zoom has led the charge in taking the place of social hangouts during the COVID-19 pandemic , despite its myriad privacy issues .
But there 's also Houseparty , the Epic Games-owned app Facebook originally tried cloning with its ill-fated and now-defunct Bonfire competitor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meet application for enterprise teleconferencing and turned it into Google Meet , a more consumer-friendly and currently free option tied to people ’ s Gmail accounts .

Facebook’s new video chat product, Messenger Rooms, is now available to everyone on both mobile and desktop, the company announced on Thursday. The product is a more feature-rich and expanded version of the existing Facebook Messenger’s video calling function, and it allows up to 50 people to chat on video with no time limit through either the main Facebook app or through the dedicated Messenger one.
Facebook says you can set limits on who can join, or you can make it public to anyone with the link even if they don’t have a Facebook account. “You can start and share rooms on Facebook through News Feed, Groups and Events, so it’s easy for you to drop by whenever you want,” writes Stan Chudnovsky, Facebook’s vice president of Messenger, in a blog post published today. “You can choose who can see and join your room or remove people from your room and lock the room if you don’t want anyone else to join.”
Image: Facebook
You can still use Messenger to perform one-on-one calls and video chats or group calls and group video chats just as you could before. But now, if you tap over to the “People” section of Messenger, you’ll have the option to create a room. From there, you can set parameters like the function of the room — “hanging out” or “happy hour,” among other choices, as well as a custom option — and who’s allowed in. You can do the same from the top of the Facebook News Feed in the main app.
You can choose to make the room available to any of your friends and anyone with whom you share the link or pick specific people on your friends list who will then get personal Messenger invites from you. If you decide to make it public to your entire friends list, it will show up at the top of the News Feed for your entire network, so beware of doing that on accident. And definitely be cautious about where you put the link.
Messenger Rooms is a powerful product, but beware of accidentally sharing your video chats far and wide
Facebook is promoting the new product in its main app with a carousel of cards at the top of the screen that lists various friends’ faces and the option to “Say Hi.” Tapping any one card will give you the option to create a room with that person or message them directly on Messenger. In my brief time experimenting with the live product, I found it somewhat confusing, albeit powerful from a technical standpoint.
The quality is solid, and there are some great added features like AR filters and virtual backgrounds. So I can see the potential here, but I’m also wary of leaving my room open without ending it, which you have to do manually, or accidentally opening up a group video chat with more than 500 people, many of whom I don’t interact with at all anymore.
For Facebook’s broader business, Messenger Rooms is an opportunity for it to reposition its messaging products as more familiar and well-polished versions of popular video chat alternatives. Facebook says it does not end-to-end encrypt the calls, as it does on WhatsApp, but it says it will not view or listen to calls, just as it doesn’t do on Messenger. The company is also advising users to report rooms where illicit behavior is taking place.


theverge--2020-05-15--Elon Musk’s battle to reopen Tesla’s Fremont plant may shape his legacy

Elon Musk intends to make himself immortal by inserting himself into history books as best he can : electric cars will do , but so will a private mission to Mars .
At times , it seems that he is the last subscriber to the “ Great Man ” theory of history .
Well , none of us have control over our own obituaries The problem is that history tends to be written by the survivors — a heel turn late in life , for instance , will obliterate any contemporary admiration .
In Los Angeles , this is most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mulholland — an obsessed engineer whose dream was to supply Los Angeles with enough water for generations of growth — performed an examination on the St. Francis Dam hours before it collapsed , killing hundreds in one of the worst disasters in California ’ s history .
Brilliant and witty as Mullholland was , he is now known primarily for that disaster and his abysmal behavior in the Owens Valley water conflict , which inspired the movie Chinatown .
Well , none of us have control over our own obituaries , assuming we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all .
But it is certainly curious to see a man with such an obvious interest in his legacy make moves that may destroy it .
This brings us to the reopening of the Tesla Fremont plant in apparent violation of an Alameda County health order prohibiting the factory from operating .
Last week , California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that some manufacturing in the state would be allowed to resume on May 8 ; but if the state and the county disagree , the more restrictive order is the one that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go slower than the state in reopening business , no one may go faster , according to Sonia Angell , the head of the state ’ s department of public health .
The immediate action began with tweets : Musk railed against the Alameda County order to continue sheltering in place and threatened to leave California .
He also filed suit against Alameda County .
Tesla began making cars again at its Fremont , California factory last weekend , The Verge ’ s Sean O ’ Kane reported .
Workers who had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Monday , Musk tweeted confirmation of that reporting and said , “ If anyone is arrested , I ask that it only be me.
” Shortly after that , Nevada Gigafactory workers received an email calling them back to work as well , O ’ Kane reported .
On Tuesday , US President Donald Trump tweeted his support for Musk : “ California should let Tesla & @ elonmusk open the plant , NOW .
It can be done Fast & Safely !
” Later that evening , Alameda County announced it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Fremont and that “ Tesla can begin to augment their minimum business operations this week in preparation for possible reopening as soon as next week.
” On Wednesday , an internal email sent from Tesla said that the company is ramping up its production this week to get to full capacity , Bloomberg News reported .
Fremont is located in one of the six counties that make up the San Francisco Bay Area , which was the first in the country to issue shelter-in-place orders and close non-essential businesses — a move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causing a county health official to remark Musk had created a public health risk .
But the Bay Area ’ s quick action — along with a little bit of luck — ensured that the cities in it were spared the full horror of the outbreak , at least so far .
Though the first community-transmission cases were detected here , only about 350 deaths from COVID-19 had been confirmed as of the beginning of May ; University of California San Francisco epidemiologist George Rutherford estimated that the Bay Area ’ s action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ California has been progressive and forward-thinking in how they ’ ve handled COVID-19 , and that shows in their numbers , ” John Brownstein , who leads the Computational Epidemiology Lab at Boston Children ’ s Hospital , tells The Verge .
Meanwhile , elsewhere in the country , major outbreaks have occurred at meat packing plants .
One report from a Chinese restaurant showed that a single person ’ s breathing infected 10 people from three families , two of which were sitting at separate tables , over the course of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report , of an outbreak in a South Korean call center , showed that one infected employee in the call center resulted in 94 cases — though how much of that is attributable to touching shared objects and how much was airflow remains unknown .
A choir rehearsal with a single sick person resulted in 45 cases .
At one Staten Island Amazon warehouse , there have been at least 35 cases ; across 125 Amazon warehouse facilities , workers have recorded at least 606 cases .
At least one Amazon warehouse worker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still things we don ’ t know about how the virus spreads , but we do have some clues from these reports : closed environments where people spend a lot of time in proximity seem to be risks , says Brownstein , who is also a professor at Harvard Medical School .
Brownstein thinks there are ways to mitigate risk from these environments , but those decisions will vary by location and should be made by local and state governments .
“ The biggest thing that offended me about what ’ s being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Mark Cullen , director of the Center for Population Health Sciences at Stanford , in an interview .
“ Any time you take what turns out to be brilliant planning on the part of our six counties — and to snub the value of that very publicly , make this ‘ fuck you ’ libertarian statement , and say ‘ if you don ’ t do what I want , I ’ ll move to another state ’ — highlights what ’ s wrong with public health thinking and policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s another unknown : what happens if businesses that are reopening must shut down again , says Liliana Tenney , a senior instructor at the Colorado School of Public Health .
Until there ’ s legislation to protect these workers , we should respect local , state , and federal restrictions — and err on the side of caution , Tenney says .
That protects all citizens , but particularly workers who face the choice of either working at places like Tesla or unemployment .
“ Most employers are very nervous about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve seen through our experience is that most employers are very nervous about this return to work and the return to operations , ” Tenney tells The Verge .
“ And they are doing everything in their power to enact safety measures but also to pause and take it slowly.
” All of the experts I spoke to agreed there are ways to make workplaces like Tesla safer .
One is to group workers into cohorts , so if one person in the group gets sick , the number of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people for coronavirus on a daily or weekly basis will also make it less likely a disastrous outbreak will occur , particularly if it ’ s paired with contact tracing .
Personal protective equipment , such as masks and gloves , may make workers safer , too .
Managing the facility — spacing people out , increasing ventilation , and disinfecting surfaces more frequently — will also lower risks to the workforce .
A “ return to work ” playbook from Tesla incorporates these ideas , which the company says were inspired by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Measures include increased cleaning , providing hand sanitizer , enforcing social distancing , temperature checks at the entry of the factory , adjusting work shifts , reducing the number of people allowed on company shuttles , and providing personal protective equipment .
One of the assembly lines is , famously , a tent in a parking lot , which may also provide better ventilation than indoor lines .
“ It ’ s hard to stay six feet from people.
” Production lines are moving more slowly than usual , according to internal Tesla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees told the outlet that their temperatures were taken at the factory entrance , dispensers for hand sanitizer had been placed , and they ’ d been given surgical masks .
Scheduled break times were meant to reduce contact in bathrooms and dining areas .
Still , several employees feel they are being pressured to return to work , NBC News reported .
One worker said that her supervisor told her that if she didn ’ t return to work as directed , she was in danger of being fired .
Internal Tesla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who didn ’ t return to work would no longer receive unemployment insurance , and would have to take unpaid leave .
A worker told NBC that staying away from people in the plant was difficult .
“ It ’ s hard to stay six feet from people , ” the anonymous employee told the outlet .
“ It ’ s a production line .
There ’ s a lot of people.
” Another worker told The New York Times that the production line hadn ’ t changed much , making it difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ echoed in comments to Joseph Geha , a reporter for the Bay Area News Group : “ The work that we do requires us to constantly be in close proximity to people , ” the worker said .
( The negative views are not uniformly held : a worker told Geha that they were fine with the factory reopening . )
Another worker told The San Jose Mercury News that tools used on the production line are shared and aren ’ t being cleaned or sanitized between uses .
“ I think Tesla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s why I had it to the point where on May 18 , Tesla would have opened.
” On one level , the kerfuffle is bewildering .
Musk has spent years presenting himself as an enthusiastic acolyte of science .
What ’ s more , in an interview with The New York Times on May 9th , an Alameda county official said that the county and Tesla had been close to an agreement to reopen the plant on May 18 .
“ We were working on a lot of policies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite frankly , I think Tesla did a pretty good job , and that ’ s why I had it to the point where on May 18 , Tesla would have opened , ” said Scott Haggerty , the county supervisor for the district where the Fremont plant operates , according to The New York Times .
“ I know Elon knew that .
But he wanted it this week.
” The May 18 restart would have put Tesla squarely in line with other automakers ’ efforts to reopen their plants .
Mercedes-Benz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 .
BMW ’ s South Carolina plant started up on May 4 ; GM began production on May 11 , as did Honda , Subaru , and Volvo .
Toyota planned to restart its US production this week .
Fiat Chrysler will resume on May 18 , as will Ford .
Volkswagen has postponed starting up its plants indefinitely .
What ’ s more , car sales cratered in March .
In April , though , they seemed to slightly recover , though sales were still down 50 percent compared with April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Alameda at all ?
“ As the world comes back online , Tesla will be competing against other automakers who are literally throwing out all the stops.
” Just before the coronavirus-related health orders closed plants , Tesla was launching its Model Y SUV .
SUVs , along with pickup trucks , were among the few bright spots in the market these last few months , says Jessica Caldwell , an analyst for Edmunds .
Dealers have also been offering remarkable incentives , such as zero percent interest loans for as long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world are recovering at different speeds , Caldwell points out .
So Musk might want his factories up and running for when markets — in the US or elsewhere — recover .
And Tesla makes cars at just two places : Shanghai and Fremont .
“ If they ’ re not producing at either factory they have no global production , ” Caldwell says .
“ And as the world comes back online , Tesla will be competing against other automakers who are literally throwing out all the stops.
” The Model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brauer , the executive publisher at Autotrader and Kelly Blue Book .
“ He ’ s got enough demand in the US and globally that he can probably sell most — if not every — Model Y about as fast as he can build them.
” “ Elon rightfully feels that taking a non-conventional approach has served him relatively well.
” There ’ s another factor , and it ’ s political .
Before starting his standoff with Alameda County , Musk was already agitating to open Fremont on a private call with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Musk told Trump that he did not view returning to work as a significant risk , and the president agreed , The Washington Post reported .
SpaceX , Musk ’ s commercial space company , is heavily reliant on government contracts ; if Musk were trying to curry favor with Trump , it wouldn ’ t be the first time .
There ’ s also Musk ’ s image to consider , says Brauer .
“ Elon rightfully feels that taking a non-conventional approach has served him relatively well for the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Tesla , ” Brauer says .
“ So if it ’ s unconventional to break a government mandate if he doesn ’ t think it ’ s a necessary level of caution , it plays into his image and his customer base , which likes his unconventional approach.
” But the question may be if Musk loses more than he gains by aligning himself with Trump and others who have persistently tried to convince Americans that stay-home orders aren ’ t necessary , Brauer says .
He might gain new customers — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electric vehicles but want to support Musk for pushing back against government overreach .
Longtime Tesla customers , though , might feel alienated , particularly those who are more collectively-minded .
Cullen , the epidemiologist , is among that group .
“ I drive a fucking Tesla , ” Cullen tells The Verge .
“ When the cheap ones came out , I bought one .
I love the car .
I don ’ t love Musk.
” If Musk reopens Tesla successfully , and without sickening his workers , we should all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” tweetstorm .
But if Fremont workers get sick and bring COVID-19 with them into the places where they live , seeding outbreaks like we ’ ve seen with meatpacking plants and other close-quarters facilities , Musk stands to lose a tremendous amount of confidence the public has placed in him .
Historically , Musk has been a connoisseur of risk — but now he ’ s gambling with his legacy .
If Alameda County ’ s COVID-19 case counts spike two or three weeks from now , Musk ’ s role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first line in his obituary .
Under the Great Man theory of history , the man in question takes all the blame .

Elon Musk intends to make himself immortal by inserting himself into history books as best he can: electric cars will do, but so will a private mission to Mars. At times, it seems that he is the last subscriber to the “Great Man” theory of history.
Well, none of us have control over our own obituaries
The problem is that history tends to be written by the survivors — a heel turn late in life, for instance, will obliterate any contemporary admiration. In Los Angeles, this is most clearly borne out by William Mullholland. Mulholland — an obsessed engineer whose dream was to supply Los Angeles with enough water for generations of growth — performed an examination on the St. Francis Dam hours before it collapsed, killing hundreds in one of the worst disasters in California’s history. Brilliant and witty as Mullholland was, he is now known primarily for that disaster and his abysmal behavior in the Owens Valley water conflict, which inspired the movie Chinatown.
Well, none of us have control over our own obituaries, assuming we are lucky enough to get an obituary at all. But it is certainly curious to see a man with such an obvious interest in his legacy make moves that may destroy it. This brings us to the reopening of the Tesla Fremont plant in apparent violation of an Alameda County health order prohibiting the factory from operating.
The immediate action began with tweets: Musk railed against the Alameda County order to continue sheltering in place and threatened to leave California. He also filed suit against Alameda County. Tesla began making cars again at its Fremont, California factory last weekend, The Verge’s Sean O’Kane reported. Workers who had been placed on furlough were called back. On Monday, Musk tweeted confirmation of that reporting and said, “If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.” Shortly after that, Nevada Gigafactory workers received an email calling them back to work as well, O’Kane reported.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump tweeted his support for Musk: “California should let Tesla & @elonmusk open the plant, NOW. It can be done Fast & Safely!” Later that evening, Alameda County announced it had received Tesla’s safety plan for Fremont and that “Tesla can begin to augment their minimum business operations this week in preparation for possible reopening as soon as next week.” On Wednesday, an internal email sent from Tesla said that the company is ramping up its production this week to get to full capacity, Bloomberg News reported.
“California has been progressive and forward-thinking in how they’ve handled COVID-19, and that shows in their numbers,” John Brownstein, who leads the Computational Epidemiology Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, tells The Verge.
“It’s outrageous.”
There are still things we don’t know about how the virus spreads, but we do have some clues from these reports: closed environments where people spend a lot of time in proximity seem to be risks, says Brownstein, who is also a professor at Harvard Medical School. Brownstein thinks there are ways to mitigate risk from these environments, but those decisions will vary by location and should be made by local and state governments.
“The biggest thing that offended me about what’s being proposed here is the civil disobedience aspect,” says Mark Cullen, director of the Center for Population Health Sciences at Stanford, in an interview. “Any time you take what turns out to be brilliant planning on the part of our six counties — and to snub the value of that very publicly, make this ‘fuck you’ libertarian statement, and say ‘if you don’t do what I want, I’ll move to another state’ — highlights what’s wrong with public health thinking and policy. It’s outrageous.”
There’s another unknown: what happens if businesses that are reopening must shut down again, says Liliana Tenney, a senior instructor at the Colorado School of Public Health. Until there’s legislation to protect these workers, we should respect local, state, and federal restrictions — and err on the side of caution, Tenney says. That protects all citizens, but particularly workers who face the choice of either working at places like Tesla or unemployment.
“Most employers are very nervous about this return to work.”
“What we’ve seen through our experience is that most employers are very nervous about this return to work and the return to operations,” Tenney tells The Verge. “And they are doing everything in their power to enact safety measures but also to pause and take it slowly.”
All of the experts I spoke to agreed there are ways to make workplaces like Tesla safer. One is to group workers into cohorts, so if one person in the group gets sick, the number of people who are exposed is smaller. Screening people for coronavirus on a daily or weekly basis will also make it less likely a disastrous outbreak will occur, particularly if it’s paired with contact tracing. Personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, may make workers safer, too. Managing the facility — spacing people out, increasing ventilation, and disinfecting surfaces more frequently — will also lower risks to the workforce.
A “return to work” playbook from Tesla incorporates these ideas, which the company says were inspired by measures implemented at the Chinese Gigafactory. Measures include increased cleaning, providing hand sanitizer, enforcing social distancing, temperature checks at the entry of the factory, adjusting work shifts, reducing the number of people allowed on company shuttles, and providing personal protective equipment. One of the assembly lines is, famously, a tent in a parking lot, which may also provide better ventilation than indoor lines.
“It’s hard to stay six feet from people.”
Production lines are moving more slowly than usual, according to internal Tesla correspondence seen by CNBC. Three Fremont employees told the outlet that their temperatures were taken at the factory entrance, dispensers for hand sanitizer had been placed, and they’d been given surgical masks. Scheduled break times were meant to reduce contact in bathrooms and dining areas.
Still, several employees feel they are being pressured to return to work, NBC News reported. One worker said that her supervisor told her that if she didn’t return to work as directed, she was in danger of being fired. Internal Tesla emails viewed by NBC said that employees who didn’t return to work would no longer receive unemployment insurance, and would have to take unpaid leave. A worker told NBC that staying away from people in the plant was difficult. “It’s hard to stay six feet from people,” the anonymous employee told the outlet. “It’s a production line. There’s a lot of people.” Another worker told The New York Times that the production line hadn’t changed much, making it difficult to avoid other workers.
That was echoed in comments to Joseph Geha, a reporter for the Bay Area News Group: “The work that we do requires us to constantly be in close proximity to people,” the worker said. (The negative views are not uniformly held: a worker told Geha that they were fine with the factory reopening.) Another worker told The San Jose Mercury News that tools used on the production line are shared and aren’t being cleaned or sanitized between uses.
“I think Tesla did a pretty good job, and that’s why I had it to the point where on May 18, Tesla would have opened.”
On one level, the kerfuffle is bewildering. Musk has spent years presenting himself as an enthusiastic acolyte of science. What’s more, in an interview with The New York Times on May 9th, an Alameda county official said that the county and Tesla had been close to an agreement to reopen the plant on May 18.
“We were working on a lot of policies and procedures to help operate that plant and quite frankly, I think Tesla did a pretty good job, and that’s why I had it to the point where on May 18, Tesla would have opened,” said Scott Haggerty, the county supervisor for the district where the Fremont plant operates, according to The New York Times. “I know Elon knew that. But he wanted it this week.”
The May 18 restart would have put Tesla squarely in line with other automakers’ efforts to reopen their plants. Mercedes-Benz fired up its Alabama facility on April 27. BMW’s South Carolina plant started up on May 4; GM began production on May 11, as did Honda, Subaru, and Volvo. Toyota planned to restart its US production this week. Fiat Chrysler will resume on May 18, as will Ford. Volkswagen has postponed starting up its plants indefinitely.
What’s more, car sales cratered in March. In April, though, they seemed to slightly recover, though sales were still down 50 percent compared with April 2019. So why start the fight with Alameda at all?
“As the world comes back online, Tesla will be competing against other automakers who are literally throwing out all the stops.”
Just before the coronavirus-related health orders closed plants, Tesla was launching its Model Y SUV. SUVs, along with pickup trucks, were among the few bright spots in the market these last few months, says Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for Edmunds. Dealers have also been offering remarkable incentives, such as zero percent interest loans for as long as seven years. Different areas in the world are recovering at different speeds, Caldwell points out. So Musk might want his factories up and running for when markets — in the US or elsewhere — recover. And Tesla makes cars at just two places: Shanghai and Fremont.
“If they’re not producing at either factory they have no global production,” Caldwell says. “And as the world comes back online, Tesla will be competing against other automakers who are literally throwing out all the stops.”
The Model Y is particularly important, says Karl Brauer, the executive publisher at Autotrader and Kelly Blue Book. “He’s got enough demand in the US and globally that he can probably sell most — if not every — Model Y about as fast as he can build them.”
“Elon rightfully feels that taking a non-conventional approach has served him relatively well.”
There’s another factor, and it’s political. Before starting his standoff with Alameda County, Musk was already agitating to open Fremont on a private call with President Donald Trump and some other CEOs. Musk told Trump that he did not view returning to work as a significant risk, and the president agreed, The Washington Post reported. SpaceX, Musk’s commercial space company, is heavily reliant on government contracts; if Musk were trying to curry favor with Trump, it wouldn’t be the first time.
There’s also Musk’s image to consider, says Brauer. “Elon rightfully feels that taking a non-conventional approach has served him relatively well for the last 15 years that he’s been at Tesla,” Brauer says. “So if it’s unconventional to break a government mandate if he doesn’t think it’s a necessary level of caution, it plays into his image and his customer base, which likes his unconventional approach.”
But the question may be if Musk loses more than he gains by aligning himself with Trump and others who have persistently tried to convince Americans that stay-home orders aren’t necessary, Brauer says. He might gain new customers — people who ordinarily might not care about electric vehicles but want to support Musk for pushing back against government overreach. Longtime Tesla customers, though, might feel alienated, particularly those who are more collectively-minded.
“I drive a fucking Tesla.”
Cullen, the epidemiologist, is among that group. “I drive a fucking Tesla,” Cullen tells The Verge. “When the cheap ones came out, I bought one. I love the car. I don’t love Musk.”
If Musk reopens Tesla successfully, and without sickening his workers, we should all expect an “I told you so!” tweetstorm. But if Fremont workers get sick and bring COVID-19 with them into the places where they live, seeding outbreaks like we’ve seen with meatpacking plants and other close-quarters facilities, Musk stands to lose a tremendous amount of confidence the public has placed in him. Historically, Musk has been a connoisseur of risk — but now he’s gambling with his legacy.


theverge--2020-05-15--Apple supplier TSMC confirms it’s building an Arizona chip plant

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. ( TSMC ) , which makes Apple ’ s A-series chips , plans to build an advanced chip factory in Arizona .
The news was first reported yesterday by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by TSMC today .
The plant will make 5-nanometer transistor chips for TSMC , which the company has reportedly been testing with customers in Taiwan over the past several months .
TSMC says the facility will create over 1,600 “ high-tech professional jobs , ” with construction due to start in 2021 and production slated to begin in 2024 .
TSMC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be around $ 12 billion from 2021 to 2029 .
The company already operates a fabrication factory in Camas , Washington and design centers in Texas and California .
It ’ s not yet clear what financial incentives the company may receive from state or federal government , but the WSJ reports that the State and Commerce departments are involved in the plans .
In addition to Apple , TSMC counts Nvidia and Huawei among its clients .
Bloomberg notes that a chip factory is expensive to build ; TSMC spent $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tainan , Taiwan , which is slated to begin production on iPhone components this year .
Apple has long been rumored to be working on the production of Macs with its own chips instead of relying on Intel , with one report last month suggesting TSMC would produce the chips based on a 5-nanometer fabrication process , like the Arizona plant would reportedly use .
Update Friday May 15th , 6:25AM ET : This story and headline has been updated after news of the plant was confirmed by TSMC .