theverge--2020-03-24--Telecoms are sneaking ‘stay home’ messages onto customers’ smartphones

Some mobile phone operators , including Vodafone and Orange S.A. , have started inserting coronavirus-related public health suggestions to stay indoors onto customers ’ smartphones in recent days , using the small snippet of text that typically accompanies the connection signal symbols in the top left of a phone screen .
According to social media consultant Matt Navarra , who began posting and retweeting examples to his Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon , messages are appearing on the phones of customers in Germany , courtesy of UK-based telecom Vodafone .
According to a wave of replies to Navarra ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up all over the world , too .
Users have replied with screenshots of their own showing various versions of “ stay home ” in a number of different languages .
That includes Romania ( “ Stamacasa ” ) ; Peru ( “ YoMeQuedoEnCasa ” ) , Turkey ( “ EvdeKal ” ) , and Indonesia ( “ DiRumahAja ” ) .
And people in Belgium , France , India , and Nigeria are reportedly seeing either English versions of the phrase or versions in a native language , depending on the telecom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some markets only when you switch off Wi-Fi , as Nevarra said was the case in Germany .
But that is not always a requirement to see the message , as you can see from the Peru example below : It ’ s not clear whether this is a concerted effort from multiple telecoms , or rather one company decided to take the lead and others have followed .
But it ’ s an unprecedented use of the small but vital screen space telecoms do have control over to actual promote the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in the weeks and months to come .

Some mobile phone operators, including Vodafone and Orange S.A., have started inserting coronavirus-related public health suggestions to stay indoors onto customers’ smartphones in recent days, using the small snippet of text that typically accompanies the connection signal symbols in the top left of a phone screen.
According to social media consultant Matt Navarra, who began posting and retweeting examples to his Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon, messages are appearing on the phones of customers in Germany, courtesy of UK-based telecom Vodafone.
According to a wave of replies to Navarra’s initial tweet, similar messages are showing up all over the world, too. Users have replied with screenshots of their own showing various versions of “stay home” in a number of different languages.
That includes Romania (“Stamacasa”); Peru (“YoMeQuedoEnCasa”), Turkey (“EvdeKal”), and Indonesia (“DiRumahAja”). And people in Belgium, France, India, and Nigeria are reportedly seeing either English versions of the phrase or versions in a native language, depending on the telecom.
The messages appear to show up in some markets only when you switch off Wi-Fi, as Nevarra said was the case in Germany. But that is not always a requirement to see the message, as you can see from the Peru example below:


theverge--2020-03-24--YouTube Music can now show lyrics on its iOS and Android apps

YouTube Music users can now read lyrics while listening to a song on the service ’ s iOS and Android apps , the company announced today .
To see lyrics , when you ’ ve got a song open in the app , just tap the “ i ” button on the left side of the screen .
The lyrics will then show up under the tracking bar for the song .
Here ’ s what the lyrics screen looks like for me for Tame Impala ’ s “ One More Year ” on the YouTube Music iOS app : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lyrics while you ’ re playing a song , and on some songs , those services can advance lyrics forward in real time as the song is playing .
Right now , all of YouTube Music ’ s lyrics are static , so you have to scroll down manually if you want to follow along with the track .
It appears that not every song has lyrics .
I looked for them on songs on two recently-released albums — Childish Gambino ’ s 3.15.20 and Jay Electronica ’ s A Written Testimony —and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells The Verge that it gets updated lyrics from LyricFind on a daily basis , but it didn ’ t share a timeline for how long it might take to source lyrics for specific songs .
Lyrics aren ’ t supported in YouTube Music ’ s web player right now , but YouTube says the feature is actively being worked on .

YouTube Music users can now read lyrics while listening to a song on the service’s iOS and Android apps, the company announced today. To see lyrics, when you’ve got a song open in the app, just tap the “i” button on the left side of the screen. The lyrics will then show up under the tracking bar for the song.
Here’s what the lyrics screen looks like for me for Tame Impala’s “One More Year” on the YouTube Music iOS app:
Apple Music and Spotify can also show lyrics while you’re playing a song, and on some songs, those services can advance lyrics forward in real time as the song is playing. Right now, all of YouTube Music’s lyrics are static, so you have to scroll down manually if you want to follow along with the track.
It appears that not every song has lyrics. I looked for them on songs on two recently-released albums — Childish Gambino’s 3.15.20 and Jay Electronica’s A Written Testimony —and they weren’t there. YouTube tells The Verge that it gets updated lyrics from LyricFind on a daily basis, but it didn’t share a timeline for how long it might take to source lyrics for specific songs.


theverge--2020-03-24--Bandsintown will help musicians get faster access to Twitch monetization

Concert notification service Bandsintown has partnered with Twitch to help out artists who are unable to tour because of the novel coronavirus pandemic .
The partnership lets qualified Bandsintown artists bypass the normal qualifications needed to become a Twitch Affiliate and get fast access to the live streaming platform ’ s monetization tools .
Canceled events are a blow to musicians who depend on income from live shows , and many have turned to “ quaranstreams ” to try and alleviate the financial damage .
SoundCloud recently announced a similar initiative with Twitch .
Bandsintown artists with 2,000 trackers or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll then have to create a Twitch channel , link it on your artist profile on the platform , and fill out a short form .
( It ’ s linked in Bandsintown ’ s post . )
Once submitted , the company says Twitch ’ s Affiliation program will contact you by email within two to five business days to get any other details needed to upgrade your account .
with tours canceled , many musicians have started “ quaranstreams ” Affiliate status on Twitch unlocks monetization tools , like subscriptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Getting fast Affiliate approval can help out artists who need to create additional income now , with swaths of the entertainment industry ground to a halt as a result of the pandemic .
Normally , in order to qualify for Affiliate status , a Twitch user must have at least 50 followers along with at least 500 total broadcast minutes in the last 30 days , seven unique broadcast days in the last 30 days , and an average of three concurrent viewers or more in the last 30 days .
This program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SoundCloud , lets artists bypass these hurdles so they can monetize on Twitch within days .
” Twitch continues to be a great place for artists to perform and connect with their fans live , ” said Mike Olson , Twitch ’ s head of music , said in a statement .
“ We ’ re excited to partner with Bandsintown to provide artists not only the best live streaming experience , but an opportunity for our community to support them with monetization tools that aren ’ t offered elsewhere.
” Bandsintown also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added the ability to push out a “ watch live ” notification when musicians are live-streaming shows .
These notifications will show up on Bandsintown , as well as Facebook pages and anywhere else Bandsintown listings appear .

Concert notification service Bandsintown has partnered with Twitch to help out artists who are unable to tour because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The partnership lets qualified Bandsintown artists bypass the normal qualifications needed to become a Twitch Affiliate and get fast access to the live streaming platform’s monetization tools.
Bandsintown artists with 2,000 trackers or more are eligible to apply. You’ll then have to create a Twitch channel, link it on your artist profile on the platform, and fill out a short form. (It’s linked in Bandsintown’s post.) Once submitted, the company says Twitch’s Affiliation program will contact you by email within two to five business days to get any other details needed to upgrade your account.
with tours canceled, many musicians have started “quaranstreams”
Affiliate status on Twitch unlocks monetization tools, like subscriptions and the ability to receive tips. Getting fast Affiliate approval can help out artists who need to create additional income now, with swaths of the entertainment industry ground to a halt as a result of the pandemic.
Normally, in order to qualify for Affiliate status, a Twitch user must have at least 50 followers along with at least 500 total broadcast minutes in the last 30 days, seven unique broadcast days in the last 30 days, and an average of three concurrent viewers or more in the last 30 days. This program, like the one between Twitch and SoundCloud, lets artists bypass these hurdles so they can monetize on Twitch within days.
”Twitch continues to be a great place for artists to perform and connect with their fans live,” said Mike Olson, Twitch’s head of music, said in a statement. “We’re excited to partner with Bandsintown to provide artists not only the best live streaming experience, but an opportunity for our community to support them with monetization tools that aren’t offered elsewhere.”


theverge--2020-03-24--Facebook says coronavirus is pushing usage through the roof, but its business is hurting

Facebook is seeing an extreme spike in usage across the globe due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , the company outlined in a blog post on Tuesday .
But most usage is concentrated among private messaging and video calling , products the company does not monetize .
As a result , the social media giant says it ’ s business is suffering while it struggles to keep its communication tools online and stable .
The blog post , penned by analytics chief Alex Schultz and engineering chief Jay Parikh , says total messaging across Facebook , Instagram , and WhatsApp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like Italy , has increased by more than 50 percent .
Video calling on Messenger and WhatsApp in those same areas has more than doubled , the post says .
“ We ’ re just trying to keep the lights on over here.
” “ The usage growth from COVID-19 is unprecedented across the industry , and we are experiencing new records in usage almost every day , ” the duo writes .
“ Maintaining stability throughout these spikes in usage is more challenging than usual now that most of our employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parikh note that the spike in usage is not translating to a boon to its bottom line .
Messaging services are not monetized like the Facebook News Feed or the standard Instagram feed , at the same time that digital ad spending is decreasing across the board in countries currently in lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19 .
So Facebook is being “ adversely affected ” like many other businesses .
“ Much of the increased traffic is happening on our messaging services , but we ’ ve also seen more people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get updates from their family and friends , ” the post explains .
“ At the same time , our business is being adversely affected like so many others around the world .
We don ’ t monetize many of the services where we ’ re seeing increased engagement , and we ’ ve seen a weakening in our ads business in countries taking aggressive actions to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
” “ We ’ re just trying to keep the lights on over here , ” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published today , noting that part of the company ’ s struggles right now are because it ’ s keeping a vast majority of its 45,000-person workforce at home .
“ I ’ ve never seen anything like this before .
”

Facebook is seeing an extreme spike in usage across the globe due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the company outlined in a blog post on Tuesday. But most usage is concentrated among private messaging and video calling, products the company does not monetize. As a result, the social media giant says it’s business is suffering while it struggles to keep its communication tools online and stable.
The blog post, penned by analytics chief Alex Schultz and engineering chief Jay Parikh, says total messaging across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in harder hit areas of the globe, like Italy, has increased by more than 50 percent. Video calling on Messenger and WhatsApp in those same areas has more than doubled, the post says.
“We’re just trying to keep the lights on over here.”
“The usage growth from COVID-19 is unprecedented across the industry, and we are experiencing new records in usage almost every day,” the duo writes. “Maintaining stability throughout these spikes in usage is more challenging than usual now that most of our employees are working from home.”
Schultz and Parikh note that the spike in usage is not translating to a boon to its bottom line. Messaging services are not monetized like the Facebook News Feed or the standard Instagram feed, at the same time that digital ad spending is decreasing across the board in countries currently in lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19. So Facebook is being “adversely affected” like many other businesses.
“Much of the increased traffic is happening on our messaging services, but we’ve also seen more people using our feed and stories products to get updates from their family and friends,” the post explains. “At the same time, our business is being adversely affected like so many others around the world. We don’t monetize many of the services where we’re seeing increased engagement, and we’ve seen a weakening in our ads business in countries taking aggressive actions to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”


theverge--2020-03-24--A Snapchat-owned location app just added a leaderboard comparing who stays home the most

A Snapchat-owned location-sharing app has created a way to gamify social distancing with a leaderboard comparing who among you and your friends spends the most time at home ( via TechCrunch ) .
The app , Zenly , typically encourages sharing your location for things like meeting up with friends , but going outside to hang out with people might go against restrictions in place that encourage social distancing and help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus .
So , in a twist , Zenly can now show how much you and your your friends aren ’ t going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The leaderboard ranks the five of your friends that are staying home the most — and if you ’ re staying home as much or more than they are , you ’ ll be part of that top five .
To have a leaderboard show up , you ’ ll need to add at least friend that has a “ home ” on Zenly , the company told The Verge after the original publication of this article .
Having a “ home ” in the app may take a few days after you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so the app can figure out your day-to-day patterns and where your home might be .
I wasn ’ t able to make a leaderboard because I just joined the app today .
But here are some screenshots from Zenly of the leaderboard and two other cards that Zenly generates : one showing how much of the day you ’ ve spent at home and another showing a streak of how long you ’ ve stayed home : Zenly co-founder and CEO Antoine Martin also shared a screenshot of a leaderboard in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ map overlay that can show the number of coronavirus cases in a state or country .
When you tap on one of the emoji , it will show the number of confirmed cases and recoveries ( though the five or so emoji I clicked on all showed info that was last updated yesterday ) .
Update March 24th , 3:57PM ET : Added context and screenshots from Zenly .

A Snapchat-owned location-sharing app has created a way to gamify social distancing with a leaderboard comparing who among you and your friends spends the most time at home (via TechCrunch).
The app, Zenly, typically encourages sharing your location for things like meeting up with friends, but going outside to hang out with people might go against restrictions in place that encourage social distancing and help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. So, in a twist, Zenly can now show how much you and your your friends aren’t going outside with its new stay-at-home leaderboard.
The leaderboard ranks the five of your friends that are staying home the most — and if you’re staying home as much or more than they are, you’ll be part of that top five. To have a leaderboard show up, you’ll need to add at least friend that has a “home” on Zenly, the company told The Verge after the original publication of this article. Having a “home” in the app may take a few days after you join and give access to your location so the app can figure out your day-to-day patterns and where your home might be.
I wasn’t able to make a leaderboard because I just joined the app today. But here are some screenshots from Zenly of the leaderboard and two other cards that Zenly generates: one showing how much of the day you’ve spent at home and another showing a streak of how long you’ve stayed home:
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Zenly co-founder and CEO Antoine Martin also shared a screenshot of a leaderboard in this tweet:
Zenly also offers a handy map overlay that can show the number of coronavirus cases in a state or country. When you tap on one of the emoji, it will show the number of confirmed cases and recoveries (though the five or so emoji I clicked on all showed info that was last updated yesterday).


theverge--2020-03-24--Apple updates Safari’s anti-tracking tech with full third-party cookie blocking

Apple on Tuesday released a major update to its Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention ( ITP ) , the privacy feature that allows the company ’ s web browser to block cookies and prevent advertisers from snooping on your web habits .
According to Apple ’ s John Wilander , the WebKit engineer behind the feature , Safari now blocks all third-party cookies .
That means that , by default , no advertiser or website is able to follow you around the internet using the commonplace tracking technology .
It ’ s a significant milestone for web privacy , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole years ahead of Chrome , after Google said in January that it would start phasing out third-party cookies but not fully until some time in 2022 .
“ Cookies for cross-site resources are now blocked by default across the board .
This is a significant improvement for privacy since it removes any sense of exceptions or ‘ a little bit of cross-site tracking is allowed , ’ ” Wilander notes in the announcement post on the blog for WebKit , which is Apple ’ s in-house browser engine that powers many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes that users might not notice a big change because ITP has been doing this more or less already .
“ It might seem like a bigger change than it is .
But we ’ ve added so many restrictions to ITP since its initial release in 2017 that we are now at a place where most third-party cookies are already blocked in Safari.
” Apple first launched ITP within Safari nearly three years ago , where it immediately set a new bar for web privacy standards on both desktop and mobile by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cookies by default .
Alongside the substantial privacy work of Mozilla ’ s Firefox , which also blocks third-party cookies by default as of last summer , Apple has been pioneering a machine learning approach to web tracking prevention that has made Safari one of the most widely used and secure web tools available .
In addition to blocking third-party cookies across the board and by default , Wilander says ITP now has safeguards against trackers using the very nature of tracking prevention as a way to keep tabs on users .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensures that websites and trackers can ’ t use login IDs to digitally fingerprint users who might otherwise be using tracking prevention or other privacy tools .
“ Full third-party cookie blocking makes sure there ’ s no ITP state that can be detected through cookie blocking behavior .
We ’ d like to again thank Google for initiating this analysis through their report , ” he writes , referencing Google ’ s research published earlier this year on ITP that revealed the possibility of using some elements of it as a fingerprint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do Not Track feature in Safari in 2019 for similar reasons . )
Wilander goes on to detail some other , more technical elements of the ITP update .
But in general , he says Safari is again setting a new bar for web privacy that he and Apple hope other companies will follow .
“ Safari continues to pave the way for privacy on the web , this time as the first mainstream browser to fully block third-party cookies by default .
As far as we know , only the Tor Browser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ default before Safari , but Brave just has a few exceptions left in its blocking so in practice they are in the same good place .
We know Chrome wants this behavior too and they announced that they ’ ll be shipping it by 2022 , ” he writes .
“ We will report on our experiences of full third-party cookie blocking to the privacy groups in W3C to help other browsers take the leap .
”

Apple on Tuesday released a major update to its Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP), the privacy feature that allows the company’s web browser to block cookies and prevent advertisers from snooping on your web habits. According to Apple’s John Wilander, the WebKit engineer behind the feature, Safari now blocks all third-party cookies. That means that, by default, no advertiser or website is able to follow you around the internet using the commonplace tracking technology.
It’s a significant milestone for web privacy, and it puts Apple’s browser officially two whole years ahead of Chrome, after Google said in January that it would start phasing out third-party cookies but not fully until some time in 2022.
“Cookies for cross-site resources are now blocked by default across the board. This is a significant improvement for privacy since it removes any sense of exceptions or ‘a little bit of cross-site tracking is allowed,’” Wilander notes in the announcement post on the blog for WebKit, which is Apple’s in-house browser engine that powers many of its features under the hood.
Wilander notes that users might not notice a big change because ITP has been doing this more or less already. “It might seem like a bigger change than it is. But we’ve added so many restrictions to ITP since its initial release in 2017 that we are now at a place where most third-party cookies are already blocked in Safari.”
Apple first launched ITP within Safari nearly three years ago, where it immediately set a new bar for web privacy standards on both desktop and mobile by blocking some, but not all, cookies by default. Alongside the substantial privacy work of Mozilla’s Firefox, which also blocks third-party cookies by default as of last summer, Apple has been pioneering a machine learning approach to web tracking prevention that has made Safari one of the most widely used and secure web tools available.
In addition to blocking third-party cookies across the board and by default, Wilander says ITP now has safeguards against trackers using the very nature of tracking prevention as a way to keep tabs on users. He adds that the new feature set also ensures that websites and trackers can’t use login IDs to digitally fingerprint users who might otherwise be using tracking prevention or other privacy tools.
Wilander thanks Google for helping Apple improve ITP
“Full third-party cookie blocking makes sure there’s no ITP state that can be detected through cookie blocking behavior. We’d like to again thank Google for initiating this analysis through their report,” he writes, referencing Google’s research published earlier this year on ITP that revealed the possibility of using some elements of it as a fingerprint. (Apple had to disable the Do Not Track feature in Safari in 2019 for similar reasons.)
Wilander goes on to detail some other, more technical elements of the ITP update. But in general, he says Safari is again setting a new bar for web privacy that he and Apple hope other companies will follow.


theverge--2020-03-24--Quarantine is emotionally challenging, but there are ways officials can make it easier

When China placed a series of cities under lockdown in January to blunt the spread of COVID-19 , experts warned that other countries may not be able to implement the same policies .
But over the past few weeks , cities , states , and countries around the world have similarly restricted people ’ s movement in order to stop the virus ’ s spread .
Some people , who ’ ve been exposed to the virus , have to stay away from others for two weeks in a formal quarantine .
Other communities are full of people who don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , but have still been told to stay at home to help slow the pandemic .
Previous research shows that those decrees , whether at an individual or community level , can take an emotional toll .
None of that research , which focused on the psychological impact of quarantine during outbreaks of diseases like SARS and Ebola , quite matches the current global situation , says Neil Greenberg , professor at King ’ s College London and president of the United Kingdom Psychological Trauma Society .
But it offers good guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this pandemic .
Greenberg reviewed the existing evidence in a paper published in The Lancet .
“ The key message that came through was that if you do quarantine or extended isolation badly , that rather than just being distressing , it can have some long-lasting psychological impacts , ” he says .
“ There ’ s evidence of depression and some symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.
” During a pandemic like this one , quarantining some people and asking the rest to stay at home is necessary for public health .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that minimize the psychological impact of those policies — for example , by not promising that a quarantine period will be for one length of time and then extend it for longer .
The Verge spoke to Greenberg about the best way to manage a shut down .
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity .
What does a badly done quarantine look like ?
A bad quarantine means people don ’ t get good information about what they ’ re doing and don ’ t have a good rationale for why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have access to basic supplies or health care and don ’ t have good communication .
If people suffer financial losses and feel like they can ’ t afford to carry on with their lives , that can have a bad impact .
And if at the last minute , someone alters the length of time you ’ re quarantined and says it has to be longer .
That ’ s a recipe not just for ineffective isolation , but for poor mental health .
How well are officials and governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t done badly ?
It varies quite a lot .
Some countries have draconian policies in place , and some are lax .
The key thing about isolation around the world is that people want to see a good rationale for why it ’ s being done .
In Italy , with the death rates what they are , there is a good rationale for why the government needs to impose a restrictive regime .
That helps .
In a situation where we ’ re very worried about lots of deaths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low , people might begin to question the rationale .
At that point , there ’ s concern that people aren ’ t isolating who should be .
There ’ s confusion : why is this happening , why aren ’ t people sticking to it ?
But public health experts say that restrictive measures work best if they go into place before there are lots of deaths — how do we get people to see that as enough rationale ?
Like we do in all aspects of life .
We try and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been important .
Certainly among the scientific community , there ’ s been discussion of the Spanish flu of 1918 .
The danger , then , is people say that we didn ’ t have the health care that we have now .
The stronger the similarities are , the better .
One assumes that when this crisis is over , the next time , people will be far more understanding than they have been previously .
It ’ s difficult enough for governments to get their own heads around what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , even clear science stories and information are hard for people to understand .
Is there a difference , psychologically , between being quarantined as an individual versus being quarantined — or told to shelter in place — as a city or state ?
When you look at war or terrorism , which impact whole cities , we see that if we ’ re in it together , it makes things easier .
Generally , at-risk people or people who have been quarantined can be stigmatized .
They ’ re seen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in it together , you don ’ t see that .
People are less likely to be singled out as different or strange — which , if it happened , could cause mental health problems .
If you asked people in Europe in 1938 how they would cope with being bombed for years , everyone would say it ’ s impossible .
But once you get into a new sense of what is normal as a community , people adapt and cope .
After this is over , what should governments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the emotional challenges of sheltering in place ?
It absolutely should be part of the recovery process .
But it ’ s not inevitable people will have long-term psychological difficulties .
Some people will thrive : in a bizarre way , especially health care workers , who are facing extraordinary challenges .
They may rise to the occasion and have what we call post traumatic growth .
I ’ m not trying to be too positive , but it ’ s not all doom and gloom .
The challenge is how do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a team to carry on while also detecting the small percentage of people who will suffer mental health problems ?
How do we get them help accessing care ?
Accessing care can be hard at the best of times , and there ’ s no reason to think it will be any easier .
We need to think in our recovery plan about how to identify and help those people .
If we ’ re trying to look for the benefits , it might be that we are learning how to better communicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re locked down .
We might end up , when we get back to normal socialization , in a community with a better capacity for links than before .

When China placed a series of cities under lockdown in January to blunt the spread of COVID-19, experts warned that other countries may not be able to implement the same policies. But over the past few weeks, cities, states, and countries around the world have similarly restricted people’s movement in order to stop the virus’s spread.
The new coronavirus is spreading through the US, and several states have made emergency declarations. The World Health Organization has declared it a pandemic. Here are the basics: Everything you need to know about the coronavirus
Some people, who’ve been exposed to the virus, have to stay away from others for two weeks in a formal quarantine. Other communities are full of people who don’t have documented exposure to the virus, but have still been told to stay at home to help slow the pandemic.
Previous research shows that those decrees, whether at an individual or community level, can take an emotional toll. None of that research, which focused on the psychological impact of quarantine during outbreaks of diseases like SARS and Ebola, quite matches the current global situation, says Neil Greenberg, professor at King’s College London and president of the United Kingdom Psychological Trauma Society. But it offers good guidance for what experts expect to see during this pandemic. Greenberg reviewed the existing evidence in a paper published in The Lancet.
“The key message that came through was that if you do quarantine or extended isolation badly, that rather than just being distressing, it can have some long-lasting psychological impacts,” he says. “There’s evidence of depression and some symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.”
During a pandemic like this one, quarantining some people and asking the rest to stay at home is necessary for public health. But officials can structure isolation in ways that minimize the psychological impact of those policies — for example, by not promising that a quarantine period will be for one length of time and then extend it for longer.
The Verge spoke to Greenberg about the best way to manage a shut down.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
What does a badly done quarantine look like?
A bad quarantine means people don’t get good information about what they’re doing and don’t have a good rationale for why it’s needed. They don’t have access to basic supplies or health care and don’t have good communication. If people suffer financial losses and feel like they can’t afford to carry on with their lives, that can have a bad impact. And if at the last minute, someone alters the length of time you’re quarantined and says it has to be longer. That’s a recipe not just for ineffective isolation, but for poor mental health.
How well are officials and governments doing to make sure these quarantines aren’t done badly?
It varies quite a lot. Some countries have draconian policies in place, and some are lax. The key thing about isolation around the world is that people want to see a good rationale for why it’s being done. In Italy, with the death rates what they are, there is a good rationale for why the government needs to impose a restrictive regime. That helps.
In a situation where we’re very worried about lots of deaths, but the number of deaths is currently low, people might begin to question the rationale. At that point, there’s concern that people aren’t isolating who should be. There’s confusion: why is this happening, why aren’t people sticking to it?
But public health experts say that restrictive measures work best if they go into place before there are lots of deaths — how do we get people to see that as enough rationale?
Like we do in all aspects of life. We try and draw on previous experience of when that’s been important. Certainly among the scientific community, there’s been discussion of the Spanish flu of 1918. The danger, then, is people say that we didn’t have the health care that we have now. The stronger the similarities are, the better.
One assumes that when this crisis is over, the next time, people will be far more understanding than they have been previously. It’s difficult enough for governments to get their own heads around what needs to happen now. In this case, even clear science stories and information are hard for people to understand.
Is there a difference, psychologically, between being quarantined as an individual versus being quarantined — or told to shelter in place — as a city or state?
When you look at war or terrorism, which impact whole cities, we see that if we’re in it together, it makes things easier. Generally, at-risk people or people who have been quarantined can be stigmatized. They’re seen as dirty or infected. If everyone has been in it together, you don’t see that. People are less likely to be singled out as different or strange — which, if it happened, could cause mental health problems.
If you asked people in Europe in 1938 how they would cope with being bombed for years, everyone would say it’s impossible. But once you get into a new sense of what is normal as a community, people adapt and cope.
After this is over, what should governments and individuals do to help people recover from the emotional challenges of sheltering in place?
It absolutely should be part of the recovery process. But it’s not inevitable people will have long-term psychological difficulties. Some people will thrive: in a bizarre way, especially health care workers, who are facing extraordinary challenges. They may rise to the occasion and have what we call post traumatic growth. I’m not trying to be too positive, but it’s not all doom and gloom.
The challenge is how do you get a population, a family, a team to carry on while also detecting the small percentage of people who will suffer mental health problems? How do we get them help accessing care? Accessing care can be hard at the best of times, and there’s no reason to think it will be any easier. We need to think in our recovery plan about how to identify and help those people.


theverge--2020-03-24--Wonder Woman 1984 delayed by Warner Bros.

Wonder Woman 1984 is the latest film to be delayed as movie theaters across the country shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The film , which was supposed to open on June 5th , will now open on August 14th .
Warner Bros. has also delayed In the Heights , a movie based on Lin-Manuel Miranda ’ s musical , indefinitely .
Christopher Nolan ’ s highly anticipated film , Tenet , is still on schedule for July 17th at this time .
“ When we greenlit Wonder Woman 1984 , it was with every intention to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excited to announce that Warner Bros. Pictures will be bringing the film to theatres on Aug. 14 , ” Toby Emmerich , Warner Bros. Pictures chairman , said in a statement to Variety .
“ We hope the world will be in a safer and healthier place by then.
” Wonder Woman 1984 follows Disney ’ s Mulan , Marvel Studios ’ Black Widow , and Universal ’ s F9 in being delayed instead of receiving a digital-first release .
DreamWorks ’ Trolls World Tour will forgo a theatrical release completely and go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iTunes .
“ When we greenlit Wonder Woman 1984 , it was with every intention to be viewed on the big screen ” More studios are looking at digital-first or early digital releases as theaters remain unsure of when they ’ ll be able to open their doors again amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Even then , once those doors open , it might take some time before swaths of people venture out to watch movies .
“ We hope and believe that people will still go to the movies in theaters where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in different areas of the world that is increasingly becoming less possible , ” Jeff Shell , CEO of NBCUniversal , said in a statement .
Wonder Woman was the third highest-grossing film of 2017 , and its sequel could come close to hitting $ 1 billion at the box office if not more .
Although The Wrap reported that Warner Bros. executives talked about bringing it directly to HBO Max , WarnerMedia ’ s new streaming platform , it would be a major write-down on the film .
Warner Bros. also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joker earned more than $ 1 billion worldwide , and many of its DC movies gross more than $ 600 million at the box office .
“ To avoid catastrophic losses to the studios , these titles must have the fullest possible theatrical release around the world , ” a statement from the National Association of Theater Owners ( NATO ) reads .
“ While one or two releases may forgo theatrical release , it is our understanding from discussions with distributors that the vast majority of deferred releases will be rescheduled for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Wonder Woman 1984 is the latest film to be delayed as movie theaters across the country shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The film, which was supposed to open on June 5th, will now open on August 14th. Warner Bros. has also delayed In the Heights, a movie based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, indefinitely. Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film, Tenet, is still on schedule for July 17th at this time.
“When we greenlit Wonder Woman 1984, it was with every intention to be viewed on the big screen and are excited to announce that Warner Bros. Pictures will be bringing the film to theatres on Aug. 14,” Toby Emmerich, Warner Bros. Pictures chairman, said in a statement to Variety. “We hope the world will be in a safer and healthier place by then.”
“When we greenlit Wonder Woman 1984, it was with every intention to be viewed on the big screen”
More studios are looking at digital-first or early digital releases as theaters remain unsure of when they’ll be able to open their doors again amid the coronavirus pandemic. Even then, once those doors open, it might take some time before swaths of people venture out to watch movies.
“We hope and believe that people will still go to the movies in theaters where available, but we understand that for people in different areas of the world that is increasingly becoming less possible,” Jeff Shell, CEO of NBCUniversal, said in a statement.
Wonder Woman was the third highest-grossing film of 2017, and its sequel could come close to hitting $1 billion at the box office if not more. Although The Wrap reported that Warner Bros. executives talked about bringing it directly to HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s new streaming platform, it would be a major write-down on the film. Warner Bros. also maintains a positive relationship with theaters; Joker earned more than $1 billion worldwide, and many of its DC movies gross more than $600 million at the box office.


theverge--2020-03-24--Spotify is revoking support for all third-party DJ apps

Spotify will no longer work with third-party DJ apps starting on July 1st , 2020 .
The news was posted by Algoriddim , the developer behind a popular DJ software for iOS called Djay .
A Spotify representative confirmed the news to The Verge .
“ As of July 1 , 2020 Spotify will no longer be playable through 3rd party DJ apps , ” reads Algoriddim ’ s announcement .
“ You ’ ll still be able to use Spotify in Djay until the end of June 2020 .
In the meantime , we ’ ve introduced new streaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mixing all of the great music you love , plus give you extended access to new content and features.
” This is a big loss for Djay , which was the most robust DJ app on the market to have Spotify streaming integration .
You can still use the app to DJ with Tidal and SoundCloud , and the post provides tools for people to transfer their Spotify playlists and tracks over to these other services .
Algoriddim integrated streaming with its DJ app long before many other companies .
Now , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other DJ software and even hardware in recent years .
SoundCloud integrated with Serato DJ back in 2018 , Pioneer DJ released a beginner controller last year for streaming music and smartphone DJing , and Denon ’ s Prime 4 standalone player and its SC5000 and SC5000M media players have Wi-Fi and Tidal integration .
The two streaming services that appear to be the most amenable to these kinds of partnerships are Tidal and SoundCloud .
Spotify isn ’ t currently integrated with much DJ software or hardware beyond Djay , which worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in 2014 .
Pacemaker for iOS uses Spotify integration , and Virtual DJ used to have Spotify integration , but that was revoked in 2017 .
At the time , Virtual DJ told DJ TechTools that “ Spotify is currently no longer available in VDJ 8 as they have recently changed their terms in regards to using Spotify inside Professional DJ applications.
” DJ TechTools noted that there was an existing limitation in Spotify ’ s licensing that prevented “ the streaming or caching of 2 tracks simultaneously.
” There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terms of Service around this specific topic .
“ You may not , and you may not permit any device or system used in connection with the Spotify Service to , segue , mix , re-mix , or overlap any Spotify Content with any other audio content ( including other Spotify Content ) , ” the agreement reads .
It ’ s unclear if Spotify intends to change the language in its developer ToS again come July 1st , or if it ’ s simply enforcing language that it already had in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company is placing efforts elsewhere ( or perhaps inward ? )
, while Tidal and SoundCloud plow forward in forging partnerships within the DJ community .

Spotify will no longer work with third-party DJ apps starting on July 1st, 2020. The news was posted by Algoriddim, the developer behind a popular DJ software for iOS called Djay. A Spotify representative confirmed the news to The Verge.
“As of July 1, 2020 Spotify will no longer be playable through 3rd party DJ apps,” reads Algoriddim’s announcement. “You’ll still be able to use Spotify in Djay until the end of June 2020. In the meantime, we’ve introduced new streaming services that will enable you to continue mixing all of the great music you love, plus give you extended access to new content and features.”
This is a big loss for Djay, which was the most robust DJ app on the market to have Spotify streaming integration. You can still use the app to DJ with Tidal and SoundCloud, and the post provides tools for people to transfer their Spotify playlists and tracks over to these other services.
The two streaming services that appear to be the most amenable to these kinds of partnerships are Tidal and SoundCloud. Spotify isn’t currently integrated with much DJ software or hardware beyond Djay, which worked out its official partnership with the platform back in 2014. Pacemaker for iOS uses Spotify integration, and Virtual DJ used to have Spotify integration, but that was revoked in 2017.
At the time, Virtual DJ told DJ TechTools that “Spotify is currently no longer available in VDJ 8 as they have recently changed their terms in regards to using Spotify inside Professional DJ applications.” DJ TechTools noted that there was an existing limitation in Spotify’s licensing that prevented “the streaming or caching of 2 tracks simultaneously.”
There’s still language in Spotify’s developer Terms of Service around this specific topic. “You may not, and you may not permit any device or system used in connection with the Spotify Service to, segue, mix, re-mix, or overlap any Spotify Content with any other audio content (including other Spotify Content),” the agreement reads.


theverge--2020-03-24--Stuck in Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Ask a friend for help

It ’ s impossible to play Animal Crossing : New Horizons wrong , but occasionally , you can miss crucial steps that will open up your island ’ s capabilities .
If you ’ re finding yourself stuck — whether it ’ s a missing recipe or a location you can ’ t seem to reach — there ’ s an easier solution than tearing through your new home : invite some pals over or take a trip to one of their islands .
Like past games , New Horizons encourages players to spend some time with friends .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with friends you can ’ t see in person right now and snag some new fruits , clothes , and other items for your island .
People you spend time with online can also gift you items or make you tools , a handy trick that can help you speed past the game ’ s natural gates to get what you want or where you want to be sooner .
A pole vault , for example , will allow you to get across rivers and into new territories , while a ladder will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from friends can help you complete island projects or spruce up your home .
Friends with excess resources can also save you the wait of a full day or the trip to a random island via precious Nook Miles .
The good news is that even if you find yourself at an impasse , the answer will likely be found by chatting up your residents or members of the Nook family .
Early on , I struggled to find the recipe for materials to build a bridge .
Days after I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me , I realized I ’ d skipped an important ask from Tom Nook : bringing him different island creatures .
Not only did this get me my missing recipe , but it also unlocked Blathers , the punny owl who runs the island ’ s museum .
New Horizons has a lot to offer , and discovering new characters , events , or fun items takes patience .
Friends can ease those woes a little — as long as everyone is polite on the trip .

It’s impossible to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons wrong, but occasionally, you can miss crucial steps that will open up your island’s capabilities. If you’re finding yourself stuck — whether it’s a missing recipe or a location you can’t seem to reach — there’s an easier solution than tearing through your new home: invite some pals over or take a trip to one of their islands.
Like past games, New Horizons encourages players to spend some time with friends. It’s an easy way to hang with friends you can’t see in person right now and snag some new fruits, clothes, and other items for your island. People you spend time with online can also gift you items or make you tools, a handy trick that can help you speed past the game’s natural gates to get what you want or where you want to be sooner. A pole vault, for example, will allow you to get across rivers and into new territories, while a ladder will let you scale cliffs. Craftable items from friends can help you complete island projects or spruce up your home. Friends with excess resources can also save you the wait of a full day or the trip to a random island via precious Nook Miles.
The good news is that even if you find yourself at an impasse, the answer will likely be found by chatting up your residents or members of the Nook family. Early on, I struggled to find the recipe for materials to build a bridge. Days after I’d gotten a friend to craft log stakes for me, I realized I’d skipped an important ask from Tom Nook: bringing him different island creatures. Not only did this get me my missing recipe, but it also unlocked Blathers, the punny owl who runs the island’s museum.


theverge--2020-03-25--Relaxing isolation rules won’t help the economy, say economists

As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into its second month and shows no signs of slowing , President Donald Trump has pushed to relax the restrictions on travel and movement that are , right now , the best hope for controlling the disease .
“ We have to get our country back to work , ” Trump said in a town hall at noon on Tuesday .
“ This cure is worse than the problem .
Many people — in my opinion , more people — are going to die if we allow this to continue .
Our people have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Easter Sunday , April 12th , as a potential end date for the restrictions since “ you ’ ll have packed churches all over our country.
” But there ’ s a problem with trying to restart the economy by relaxing containment restrictions : economists say it won ’ t work .
The economy can ’ t recover until the pandemic is under control , says Maurice Obstfeld , a professor at the University of California , Berkeley and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund .
“ Before we restart economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of infections , ” Obstfeld tells The Verge .
If we move too soon , he worries we would see a new surge in infections , “ causing even more damage to the economy than if we confronted the health crisis decisively now.
” In recent days , conservative media has increasingly promoted the idea that the containment restrictions are doing more harm than good .
In a Fox News interview on Monday , Texas Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick seemed to call for a broad repeal of restrictions , regardless of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , let ’ s get back to work , ” Patrick told Tucker Carlson .
“ Let ’ s get back to living .
Let ’ s be smart about it .
And those of us who are 70-plus [ years old ] , we ’ ll take care of ourselves .
But don ’ t sacrifice the country.
” Former Fox host Glenn Beck put it in even starker terms .
“ I would rather have my children stay home and all of us who are over 50 go in , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
“ Even if we all get sick , I would rather die than kill the country.
” “ Before we restart economic activity , we have to stabilize the level of infections.
” As those pundits frame it , the recent economic collapse is caused by public health restrictions rather than the coronavirus itself , and loosening those restrictions could potentially lessen the damage .
But the economists studying the recession see a return to normal activity as likely to cause yet more economic damage .
Given the exponential growth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justin Wolfers says it is cheaper to stop the spread today than it will be tomorrow .
“ The relevant choice is whether to take dramatic actions today when the number of cases is measured in the tens of thousands , ” he says , “ or whether to take even more dramatic actions in the future when the number of cases is measured in the hundreds of thousands , or in the millions.
” The number of confirmed US cases is rising by roughly 38 percent each day , on pace to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the week , according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University .
Deaths have been rising at a slower rate , around 23 percent per day , suggesting some of the rise in case count may be the result of accelerated testing .
Still , any relaxation of social distancing would likely cause those numbers to spike , with devastating consequences for both public health and economic activity .
“ Random testing of the population is badly needed.
” As a result , even skeptical economists are recommending a measured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ status quo .
Harvard economist James Stock , who is a member of the National Bureau of Economic Research , said he believed that the public health response had underplayed the ongoing economic crisis .
“ I think the right framing is , how can we most efficiently reduce the spread of the virus while allowing some economic activity , ” Stock told The Verge .
Still , more testing is required before meaningful recovery measures could be put in place .
“ Random testing of the population is badly needed to understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like South Korea have been able to get the outbreak under control by testing the population broadly — whether or not people had symptoms — and then isolating those who tested positive .
But the US still faces a massive shortage of test kits , which means that doctors can ’ t even test every patient with symptoms .
Without more tests , it will be hard to get a handle on who is at risk of transmitting the disease — and hard to relax restrictions without driving up infections .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to proceed .
In a press conference on Tuesday at 5:30PM ET , the president continued to reference the Easter goal but seemed to lower expectations for an end to social distancing .
“ I ’ m hopeful to have Americans working again by that beautiful Easter day , ” Trump said , “ but rest assured that every decision we make will be grounded in the health , safety , and well-being of Americans.
” In the meantime , experts say the economic crisis will be hard to separate from the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that right now , we have the worst of both worlds : a stalled economy and an ineffective public health response to the pandemic , ” Obstfeld says .
“ The answer is not simply to pretend we can go back to business as usual .
”

As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into its second month and shows no signs of slowing, President Donald Trump has pushed to relax the restrictions on travel and movement that are, right now, the best hope for controlling the disease. “We have to get our country back to work,” Trump said in a town hall at noon on Tuesday. “This cure is worse than the problem. Many people — in my opinion, more people — are going to die if we allow this to continue. Our people have to go back to work.” He named Easter Sunday, April 12th, as a potential end date for the restrictions since “you’ll have packed churches all over our country.”
But there’s a problem with trying to restart the economy by relaxing containment restrictions: economists say it won’t work.
The new coronavirus is spreading through the US, and several states have made emergency declarations. The World Health Organization has declared it a pandemic. Here are the basics: Everything you need to know about the coronavirus
The economy can’t recover until the pandemic is under control, says Maurice Obstfeld, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund. “Before we restart economic activity, we have to stabilize the level of infections,” Obstfeld tells The Verge. If we move too soon, he worries we would see a new surge in infections, “causing even more damage to the economy than if we confronted the health crisis decisively now.”
In recent days, conservative media has increasingly promoted the idea that the containment restrictions are doing more harm than good. In a Fox News interview on Monday, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick seemed to call for a broad repeal of restrictions, regardless of the human cost. “My message is, let’s get back to work,” Patrick told Tucker Carlson. “Let’s get back to living. Let’s be smart about it. And those of us who are 70-plus [years old], we’ll take care of ourselves. But don’t sacrifice the country.”
Former Fox host Glenn Beck put it in even starker terms. “I would rather have my children stay home and all of us who are over 50 go in,” Beck told his audience on Tuesday night. “Even if we all get sick, I would rather die than kill the country.”
“Before we restart economic activity, we have to stabilize the level of infections.”
As those pundits frame it, the recent economic collapse is caused by public health restrictions rather than the coronavirus itself, and loosening those restrictions could potentially lessen the damage. But the economists studying the recession see a return to normal activity as likely to cause yet more economic damage.
Given the exponential growth of the disease, University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers says it is cheaper to stop the spread today than it will be tomorrow. “The relevant choice is whether to take dramatic actions today when the number of cases is measured in the tens of thousands,” he says, “or whether to take even more dramatic actions in the future when the number of cases is measured in the hundreds of thousands, or in the millions.”
The number of confirmed US cases is rising by roughly 38 percent each day, on pace to reach into the hundreds of thousands by the end of the week, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. Deaths have been rising at a slower rate, around 23 percent per day, suggesting some of the rise in case count may be the result of accelerated testing. Still, any relaxation of social distancing would likely cause those numbers to spike, with devastating consequences for both public health and economic activity.
“Random testing of the population is badly needed.”
As a result, even skeptical economists are recommending a measured response rather than a return to the status quo. Harvard economist James Stock, who is a member of the National Bureau of Economic Research, said he believed that the public health response had underplayed the ongoing economic crisis.
“I think the right framing is, how can we most efficiently reduce the spread of the virus while allowing some economic activity,” Stock told The Verge. Still, more testing is required before meaningful recovery measures could be put in place. “Random testing of the population is badly needed to understand prevalence and the asymptomatic rate.”
Countries like South Korea have been able to get the outbreak under control by testing the population broadly — whether or not people had symptoms — and then isolating those who tested positive. But the US still faces a massive shortage of test kits, which means that doctors can’t even test every patient with symptoms. Without more tests, it will be hard to get a handle on who is at risk of transmitting the disease — and hard to relax restrictions without driving up infections.
It’s unclear how the White House plans to proceed. In a press conference on Tuesday at 5:30PM ET, the president continued to reference the Easter goal but seemed to lower expectations for an end to social distancing. “I’m hopeful to have Americans working again by that beautiful Easter day,” Trump said, “but rest assured that every decision we make will be grounded in the health, safety, and well-being of Americans.”


theverge--2020-03-25--How to watch movies with friends online

How to watch movies with friends online

Even a favorite stay-at-home activity like watching TV can get lonely sometimes , especially if you ’ re used to hanging out with your friends and watching together .
And although you can stream and text , FaceTime , or share your screen on Zoom , sometimes that just doesn ’ t cut it .
If you ’ re looking for a way to make your social-distancing series binge more , well , social , there are browser extensions that let you host watch parties digitally .
Here are four apps you can use to host movie nights with friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to start watching .
To use these apps , you will need your own subscription for each service , and everyone watching will have to be signed onto their own account .
These extensions work on top of your existing subscription to sync the videos with your friends — they don ’ t provide non-subscribers with a free viewing .
Netflix Party syncs up your streams with those of your friends and adds a live chat on one side of the screen .
The app is only for use with Netflix and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Netflix Party extension icon next to your address bar should change from gray to red .
Click on it .
• A window will pop up instructing you to “ Create a Netflix Party.
” You have the option to either give yourself total control over the playback , or leave it open to everyone .
Click “ Start the party.
” • Another window will pop up with a link .
Click “ Copy URL ” and share it with your friends .
If you need to , you can find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party extension icon .
• Netflix Party will automatically give you an icon .
By clicking on the icon , you can change it ( there are a few alternatives ) as well as your nickname .
Metastream allows you to live chat while watching videos on a range of platforms , including Netflix , Hulu , YouTube , Twitch , and Crunchyroll .
But Metastream will open Netflix in another window .
The app is still in beta , so there are some kinks — for example , we experienced some issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metastream recommends using Firefox when watching Hulu , which worked better when we tried it .
• Download the extension for Firefox or Chrome • Type in a display name and click “ Get Started.
” • Click “ Start Session ” on the next screen .
• Click the “ Invite ” button on the left to get a link to share ; click “ Copy ” and send it to your friends .
In the same window , you can also make the session public , private , or offline , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( you can have an unlimited number of users ) .
Close out of that window .
• Your friends will click on that link to join the session .
When they join , you ’ ll see a box on the left with your name and theirs ; you ’ ll have to click the green check mark by their name to let them in .
To grant them permission to add videos and change playback , click on the three dots next to their name and then click “ Toggle DJ.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little busy .
You can make things clearer by setting up your chat to play on the right-hand side .
Click the three dots on the far right of the bar at the bottom of the home screen .
Click the “ Chat ” button .
When the chat window opens , click the rectangle icon in the top right corner of that window .
• If you click on the cog icon , you can pick an avatar and change your username .
To watch something , you have a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” button in the center of the main screen and then you can either : • Paste the URL for the video in the bar either at the top or the bottom of the screen and then click “ Add to Session.
” • Click one of the video sources in the middle of the screen .
That will take you to the home screen for that source .
Find the video you want .
Then click the “ Add to Session ” button in the top right corner .
Doing either of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a queue , so you can set up a list of things you want to watch .
Scener lets you video chat with your friends while watching Netflix , and there ’ s also a live chat function .
You can watch with up to 10 people total .
It only works for Netflix , though , and you can only use it through the primary profile for your account .
• Download the Chrome extension and create an account .
• Click on the extension ’ s icon to the right of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a name for your group and then click “ Next.
” • Scener will give you a link to share with your friends to invite them to the group .
Click the “ Copy ” button next to the link .
Then click “ Done ” to close the window .
• Send that link to your friends .
They ’ ll have to click on it to join .
• Click on the settings button next to the purple icon with the chair in the center-right of the screen .
A few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the top two icons , the camera and the microphone , to enable video and audio .
You should be able to see and hear your friends now .
You can add friends on Scener .
To do that : • Type your friend ’ s username into the search bar in the top right corner .
Click the “ Add Friend ” button next to their name .
• Click on their name and then click “ Watch Together ” to start the watch party .
Scener has a virtual remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whoever has it gets to control what you and your friends are watching , rewind , or pause and play the movie or TV show , like an actual remote control .
To pass the remote , hover over a friend ’ s icon .
A remote button should appear under their icon .
Click on that to give them the remote .
The only issue with Scener is that if you ’ re signed on , it ’ s hard to hide the extension when you ’ re not using it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extension will open up with it ; if you want to use a different Netflix extension , like Netflix Party , you ’ ll have to disable the Scener extension .
Here ’ s how : • You can also disable it by right-clicking on the Scener extension and then clicking “ Manage Extensions.
” When the screen opens up , just toggle “ On ” to “ Off.
” Scener has been experiencing some issues ; the company says it ’ s facing more demand than usual and is working on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a video chat feature , but it supports more services .
In addition to Netflix , you can use it to watch Amazon Prime Video , HBO Now , YouTube , and Vimeo .
If you pay the subscription fee , you can also use the app with Hulu and Disney Plus .
The subscription prices range from $ 5 to $ 20 a month , but because of COVID-19 , TwoSeven is offering all of those paid features for $ 3 a month .
• Download the extension for Firefox or Chrome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extension icon and going to the site .
You will have to confirm your email .
• Click on the TwoSeven icon next to the address bar , then click “ Go to twoseven.xyz ” • Click “ Get Started.
” Here you can change your avatar and username by clicking on the icon in the top right corner , to the right of the cog icon .
Select “ Account ” to access your profile settings .
• You ’ ll get a pop-up window that lets you create a private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other participants to have control of the webcam and mic or let the admins only have access .
Make your selection and then click “ Just Me.
” • Click on the icon in the top right corner which has two people and a plus sign .
Click on “ Copy Link ” and share that link with friends .
Once you do , they ’ ll be added to the watch session .
• Click on the camera and microphone icons on the right-hand side of the screen to enable video and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live chat feature at the bottom of the screen .
Click on “ Messages ” in the lower right-hand corner to open it .
• Click on the button for your chosen video source at the top of the screen .
For Netflix , this will take you to your account ’ s home screen and you can click on a movie or show there to start watching .
To watch YouTube videos you ’ ll have to paste in the URLs .
Once you add someone to the watch session via a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a friend to make it easier to include them in future watch sessions .
To do that : • Click the icon with two people ( not the one with the plus sign ) .
• Find their name and click the icon with a person and a plus sign .
This will send them a friend request ; they will need to accept it .
• When you receive a friend request , you can accept it by going to the TwoSeven homepage ( if you have an existing watch session open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different tab otherwise you ’ ll leave the session ) .
Any friend requests should appear on the right-hand side under “ Pending Requests.
” Click on the green check mark to accept .
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These do not influence editorial content , though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links .
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Even a favorite stay-at-home activity like watching TV can get lonely sometimes, especially if you’re used to hanging out with your friends and watching together. Although you can stream and text, FaceTime, or share your screen on Zoom, sometimes that just doesn’t cut it. If you’re looking for a way to make your social-distancing series binge more, well, social, there are browser extensions that let you host watch parties digitally.
Here are several apps you can use to host movie nights with friends online, along with step-by-step instructions on how to start watching.
To use these apps, you will need your own subscription for each service, and everyone watching will have to be signed onto their own account. These extensions work on top of your existing subscription to sync the videos with your friends — they don’t provide non-subscribers with a free viewing.
Netflix Party
Netflix Party syncs up your streams with those of your friends and adds a live chat on one side of the screen. The app is only for use with Netflix and is only available for Chrome.
To host a Netflix Party:
Download the extension
Open up Netflix and start playing a video.
The Netflix Party extension icon next to your address bar should change from gray to red. Click on it.
A window will pop up instructing you to “Create a Netflix Party.” You have the option to either give yourself total control over the playback or leave it open to everyone. Click “Start the party.”
Another window will pop up with a link. Click “Copy URL” and share it with your friends. If you need to, you can find this link again by clicking the Netflix Party extension icon.
Netflix Party will automatically give you an icon. By clicking on the icon, you can change it (there are a few alternatives) as well as your nickname.
To join an existing Netflix Party:
Click on the link.
Click on the Netflix Party icon.
Amazon Watch Party
Amazon Prime Video now has a Watch Party app for many (but not all) Prime videos. Up to 100 people can watch at once; all participants must be Prime members. Currently, it is only available on desktop and not supported for Safari and Internet Explorer browsers. In this beta version, only the host can pause, fast forward, or rewind.
To host an Amazon Watch Party:
Go to the detail page of your chosen video and look for the “Watch Party” button next to the “Watchlist” button. If it’s there, you’re golden; click on the button.
In the right-hand column, decide what name you want to use within the chat and enter it. Click on “Create Watch Party.”
The video will be in the center; on the right will be your chat area and settings tab. Under settings, you can copy and share your Watch Party link or end the party.
To join an Amazon Watch Party:
Click on the link your friend sent you.
You’ll be redirected to Prime Video and will be asked to enter a username. Once you’ve done that, click “Join Watch Party.”
Metastream
Metastream allows you to live chat while watching videos on a range of platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Twitch, and Crunchyroll (Metastream will open Netflix in a separate window). The app is still in beta, so there are some kinks — for example, we experienced some issues using it with Hulu on Chrome; Metastream recommends using Firefox when watching Hulu, which worked better when we tried it.
To host a Metastream watch party:
Download the extension for Firefox or Chrome. The extension will be able to read and change data on websites you visit.
Navigate to https://app.getmetastream.com/
Type in a display name and click “Get Started.”
Click “Start Session” on the next screen.
Click the “Invite” button on the left to get a link to share; click “Copy” and send it to your friends. In the same window, you can also make the session public, private, or offline, and change the number of users allowed (you can have an unlimited number of users). Close out of that window.
Your friends will click on that link to join the session. When they join, you’ll see a box on the left with your name and theirs; you’ll have to click the green check mark by their name to let them in. To grant them permission to add videos and change playback, click on the three dots next to their name and then click “Toggle DJ.”
The Metastream screen can be a little busy. You can make things clearer by setting up your chat to play on the right-hand side. Click the three dots on the far right of the bar at the bottom of the home screen. Click the “Chat” button. When the chat window opens, click the rectangle icon in the top right corner of that window.
If you click on the cog icon, you can pick an avatar and change your username.
To watch something, you have a few options. Click the “Add Media” button in the center of the main screen and then you can either:
Paste the URL for the video in the bar either at the top or the bottom of the screen and then click “Add to Session.”
Click one of the video sources in the middle of the screen. That will take you to the home screen for that source. Find the video you want, then click the “Add to Session” button in the top right corner.
Doing either of these things will put that video in a queue, so you can set up a list of things you want to watch.
Scener
Scener lets you video chat with your friends while watching Netflix, HBO Now, HBO Go (it does not currently support HBO Max), Disney Plus, or Vimeo; there’s also a text chat function. Previously, you could only use Scener with the primary profile for your Netflix account, but since the app was updated, you can now use it from any of your Netflix profiles.
To use Scener:
Download the Chrome extension. The extension will ask for permission to read and change your data on Netflix and Scener, show notifications, and “communicate with cooperating websites.”
Open the app by clicking on the extension’s icon (to the right of the Chrome address bar). If you can’t see it, click on the puzzle icon and you can access it from there.
This will open up a window, along with a sidebar, which will lead you through setting up a watch party. Click “Create a theater” in the sidebar.
You can choose to create either a private theater with up to 10 people, but everyone must be invited, or you can host a public theater with up to 10 hosts (with audio and video) and unlimited people watching (with access only to the text chat function). Make your selection (let’s say you want to create a private theater) and then click “Create.”
You’ll get a window asking you to make an account. Click the “Create Account” button or if you have an account, click the button which says, “Already have an account? Log in here.”
Enter in a username, email, and password to create your Scener account.
You’ll get a notice explaining how Scener works. Click “Next.”
Select the streaming service you want to use. Then, sign into that service.
Click on the button with a camera icon which says “enable” to turn on your camera.
This will open up a pop-up window. Click “Allow camera and mic.” You may get another window recommending you use headphones. Click “Got it” at the bottom of the newer window, and then “All done” in the first pop-up. (You may get that headphone window again — just click on “Got it.”)
If you hover over your video window, you’ll see small camera and microphone icons. Click on those to toggle your video or audio on and off.
Scener will give you the option to share either a link or a code with your friends. Click the “Copy invite link” button to get the link and send it to friends.
If they don’t already have Scener, the link will send them to a page with a download link. They’ll have to install the extension, create an account, sign into the service, enable audio and video, and then they’ll be added to your theater.
If they already have Scener, just send them the code and they can enter that via the app extension to join your theater.
Select a show or movie and click on the play button to start watching.
Scener has a virtual remote control you can pass to and from your friends. Whoever has it gets to control what everyone is watching; they can also rewind, pause, and play the movie or TV show — in other words, it acts like an actual remote control. To “pass” the remote, hover over your video window until a remote button appears. Click on that and then select who to pass it to in the pop-up window.
TwoSeven
TwoSeven also has a video chat feature, but it supports more services. In addition to Netflix, you can use it to watch Amazon Prime Video, HBO Now, YouTube, and Vimeo. If you pay the subscription fee, you can also use the app with Hulu and Disney Plus. The subscription prices range from $5 to $20 a month, but because of COVID-19, TwoSeven is offering all of those paid features for $3 a month.
To host a TwoSeven watch party:
Download the extension for Firefox or Chrome. The extension will request permission to show notifications and read and change data on websites you visit.
Create an account by clicking on the extension icon and going to the site. You will have to confirm your email.
Click on the TwoSeven icon next to the address bar, then click “Go to twoseven.xyz”
Click “Get Started.” Here you can change your avatar and username by clicking on the icon in the top right corner, to the right of the cog icon. Select “Account” to access your profile settings.
Click “Start Watching.”
You’ll get a pop-up window that lets you create a private room. Check the boxes to allow the other participants to have webcam and mic access or to only allow admins to control playback. If you’ve already added friends on TwoSeven, you can add them to your room here. Make your selection and then click “Just Me.”
Click on the icon in the top right corner which has two people and a plus sign. Click on “Copy Link” and share that link with friends. Once you do, they’ll be added to the watch session.
Click on the camera and microphone icons on the right-hand side of the screen to enable video and audio.
There is also a live chat feature at the bottom of the screen. Click on “Messages” in the lower right-hand corner to open it.
Click on the button for your chosen video source at the top of the screen. For Netflix, this will take you to your account’s home screen and you can click on a movie or show there to start watching. To watch YouTube videos, you’ll have to paste in the URLs.
Once you add someone to the watch session via a link, you can add them as a friend to make it easier to include them in future watch sessions.
To do that:
Click the icon with two people (not the one with the plus sign).
Find their name and click the icon with a person and a plus sign. This will send them a friend request; they will need to accept it.
When you receive a friend request, you can accept it by going to the TwoSeven homepage (if you have an existing watch session open, make sure to open it in a different tab otherwise you’ll leave the session). Any friend requests should appear on the right-hand side under “Pending Requests.” Click on the green check mark to accept.
Hulu Watch Party Image: Hulu
Hulu’s ad-free plans now allow you to host a virtual watch party for up to eight people using live text chat within the service. While the feature is available with the (ad-free) Live TV plan, you can’t use the Watch Party feature for Live TV content or for content from premium add-ons. You can join from your own profile, which means that multiple people on the same account can use the Watch Party feature together. Users under 18 years of age aren’t allowed to join.
Open up Hulu.com. Make sure you’re using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
Find a movie or show to watch. Not every video is available to watch using Watch Party. You can check if a title is compatible with the feature by looking for an icon showing three people in it on the Details page, next to “Start Watching.”
Once you’re on the Details page, click on the Watch Party icon.
Click “Start the Party” in the pop-up window.
Click on the link icon to copy the link and send it to others so they can join your watch party (as long as they have an ad-free plan and are 18 years of age or older).
When you’re ready, click “Start Party.” To add people later, you can click on the link icon in the top right corner of the chat bar.
After they follow the link, your guests will log in and will see a message acknowledging they’ve been invited to a watch party. They can click “Join the Party” to watch with you.
If you or your friends are out of sync, a blue button at the top of the chat bar labeled “Click to catch up” can be used to sync up your video.


theverge--2020-03-25--Dell now lets you control iPhones from its PCs

If you ’ re an iPhone user with a modern Dell computer , you can now mirror your phone ’ s screen to your PC and control it using Dell ’ s Mobile Connect app .
Version 3 of the iOS app lets you control your phone using your PC ’ s keyboard and mouse , and you can also drag and drop photo and video files to transfer them between the two devices .
You can also now send SMS messages without needing to keep the iPhone app open in the foreground .
The features , which were first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brings the app ’ s iPhone functionality more into line with what it already offers on Android , where it has supported these features for a couple of years now .
However , the two platforms haven ’ t quite reached parity .
Dell ’ s website notes that file transfers on iOS are limited to photos and videos , for example , while Android supports music and documents .
Alongside the new iOS functionality , Dell says Android users will now be able to use their computers to send MMS files from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phone app wants to offer similar functionality for all Windows PCs Dell isn ’ t the only company that ’ s working on letting you control your phone using your Windows PC .
Most notably , Microsoft ’ s Your Phone app works on Windows 10 regardless of who manufactured the specific hardware it ’ s running on .
Last year Microsoft updated its Android app with the ability to route calls from your phone to your PC , and is also testing similar screen mirroring functionality to what Dell offers .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is more limited compared to the Android version , and doesn ’ t support screen mirroring .
Huawei also has its own version of the technology that will also work with its tablets , but it ’ s entirely limited to Huawei hardware .
Similarly , Apple ’ s Handoff feature has long enabled seamless interoperability between Macs , iPhones , and iPads .
In order to use Dell ’ s new app , you ’ ll need to own a Dell laptop from 2018 or later , and your iPhone needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supported Dell laptop ranges include its XPS , Inspiron , Vostro , Alienware , and the G Series .
Dell says the update will be rolling out gradually over the course of this week .

If you’re an iPhone user with a modern Dell computer, you can now mirror your phone’s screen to your PC and control it using Dell’s Mobile Connect app. Version 3 of the iOS app lets you control your phone using your PC’s keyboard and mouse, and you can also drag and drop photo and video files to transfer them between the two devices. You can also now send SMS messages without needing to keep the iPhone app open in the foreground.
The features, which were first announced at CES earlier this year, brings the app’s iPhone functionality more into line with what it already offers on Android, where it has supported these features for a couple of years now. However, the two platforms haven’t quite reached parity. Dell’s website notes that file transfers on iOS are limited to photos and videos, for example, while Android supports music and documents.
Alongside the new iOS functionality, Dell says Android users will now be able to use their computers to send MMS files from their smartphones.
Microsoft’s Your Phone app wants to offer similar functionality for all Windows PCs
Dell isn’t the only company that’s working on letting you control your phone using your Windows PC. Most notably, Microsoft’s Your Phone app works on Windows 10 regardless of who manufactured the specific hardware it’s running on. Last year Microsoft updated its Android app with the ability to route calls from your phone to your PC, and is also testing similar screen mirroring functionality to what Dell offers. However, Microsoft’s current iOS app is more limited compared to the Android version, and doesn’t support screen mirroring. Huawei also has its own version of the technology that will also work with its tablets, but it’s entirely limited to Huawei hardware. Similarly, Apple’s Handoff feature has long enabled seamless interoperability between Macs, iPhones, and iPads.