theverge--2020-03-18--The coronavirus is forcing tech  giants to make a risky bet on AI

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Today , let ’ s talk about some of the front-line workers at Facebook and Google working on the pandemic : the content moderators who keep the site running day in and day out .
Like most stories about content moderators , it ’ s a tale about difficult tradeoffs .
And actions taken over the past few days by Facebook and YouTube will have significant implications for the future of the business .
First , though , some history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social networks was a business problem : let in the nudity and the Nazis , and the community collapses .
Later , it was a legal and regulatory problem : despite the protections afforded by Section 230 , companies have a legal obligation to remove terrorist propaganda , child abuse imagery , and other forms of content .
As services like YouTube and Facebook grew user bases in the billions , content moderation became more of a scale problem : how do you review the millions of posts a day that get reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as I explored last year in a series of pieces for The Verge , was to outsource the job to large consulting companies .
In the wake of the 2016 election , which revealed a deficit of content moderators at all the big social networks , tech companies hired tens of thousands of moderators around the world through firms including Accenture , Cognizant , and Genpact .
This , though , created a privacy problem .
When your moderators work in house , you can apply strict controls to their computers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data .
When they work for third parties , that user data is at much greater risk of leaking to the outside world .
The privacy issues surrounding the hiring of moderators generally haven ’ t gotten much attention from journalists like me .
( Instead we have been paying attention to their generally awful working conditions and the fact that a subset of workers are developing post-traumatic stress disorder from the job . )
But inside tech companies , fears over data leaks ran strong .
For Facebook in particular , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privacy concerns — once the world learned how Cambridge Analytica intended to use information gleaned from people ’ s Facebook use , trust in the company plunged precipitously .
That ’ s why outsourced content moderation sites for Facebook and YouTube were designed as secure rooms .
Employees can work only on designated “ production floors ” that they must badge in and out of .
They are not allowed to bring in any personal devices , lest they take surreptitious photos or attempt to smuggle out data another way .
This can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often fired for inadvertently bringing phones onto the production floor , and many of them have complained to me about the way that the divide separates them from their support networks during the day .
But no company has been willing to relax those restrictions for fear of the public-relations crisis a high-profile data loss might spark .
Fast-forward to today , when a pandemic is spreading around the world at frightening speed .
We still need just as many moderators working to police social networks , if not more — usage is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the production floor to continue working normally , you almost certainly contribute to the spread of the disease .
And yet if you let them work from home , you invite in a privacy disaster at a time when people ( especially sick people ) will be hyper-sensitive to misuses of their personal data .
Say you ’ re Facebook .
What do you do ?
Until Monday , the answer looked a lot like business as usual .
Sam Biddle broke the story in The Intercept last week .
( Incidentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most frequently mistaken for . )
In fairness , Facebook was far from alone in not having deployed a full plan for its contractors last Thursday .
Some American companies are still debating what to do with their full-time workforces this week .
But as Biddle notes , Facebook wasn ’ t one of those : it was already encouraging employees to work from home .
This prompted justified criticism from contract workers — some of whom petitioned Facebook to act , Noah Kulwin reported in The Outline .
( Googlers are circulating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own contract coworkers , Rob Price reported at Business Insider . )
On Monday night , Facebook did act .
As of Tuesday , it began to inform all contract moderators that they should not come into the office .
Commendably , Facebook will continue to pay them during the disruption .
Here ’ s the announcement : The news followed a similar announcement from Google on Sunday .
It was followed by a joint announcement from Facebook , Google , LinkedIn , Microsoft , Reddit , Twitter , and YouTube that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response efforts , ” including a commitment to remove fraud and misinformation related to the virus and promote “ authoritative content.
” ( I ’ m told the announcement is unrelated to the shift in content moderation strategies , but it points to a future where companies collaborate more on removing harmful posts . )
OK , so the content moderators have mostly been sent home .
How does stuff get ... moderated ?
Facebook allowed some moderators who work on less sensitive content — helping to train machine-learning systems for labeling content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
More sensitive work is being shifted to full-time employees .
But the company will also begin to lean more heavily on those machine-learning systems in an effort to automate content moderation .
It ’ s the long-term goal of every social network to put artificial intelligence in charge .
But as recently as December , Google was telling me that the day when such a thing would be possible was still quite far away .
And yet on Monday the company — out of necessity — changed its tune .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : All that represents a huge bet on AI at a time when , as the company itself notes , it is still quite error-prone .
And on Monday evening , both Facebook and Twitter followed suit .
Here ’ s Paresh Dave in Reuters : So many of tech platforms ’ troubles with regulators and elected officials over the past couple years have come down to content moderation .
Which posts did they allow to stay up ?
Which did they wrongfully take down ?
Which posts did they amplify , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale , the companies were making plenty of mistakes even with the benefit of human judgment .
As of Tuesday , they will be entrusting significantly more to the machines .
The day one result was not great .
Here ’ s Josh Constine in TechCruch : I ’ m sure that bug will be fixed before too long .
( Facebook says it ’ s not related to changes in content moderation . )
In the meantime , my thoughts are with the moderators who kept showing up to work every day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew it put them in physical danger .
One Facebook moderator working for Accenture recalled how the company began putting out more hand sanitizer in February as the threat worsened , but waited until Tuesday to tell him to stay home .
This came after days , if not weeks , of employees telling Accenture that their partners and roommates had been exposed to the disease .
“ We were working with people who where exposed , definitely , ” the moderator told me .
“ I think they have moved too late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly insufficient.
” Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending up : Facebook plans to award $ 100 million in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 small businesses in 30 countries around the world .
The money is aimed at helping them deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak .
Trending up : Facebook partnered with the International Fact-Checking Network to give $ 50,000 grants to organizations working on fact-checking misinformation related to COVID-19 .
The total budget for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poynter ) Trending up : A group of the biggest tech companies in the US has banded together to fight coronavirus-related fraud and misinformation .
The group includes Facebook , Google , LinkedIn , Microsoft , Reddit , Twitter , and YouTube .
Here ’ s the latest in the United States : Here ’ s a map of where coronavirus cases have been confirmed so far across the United States .
( Sara G. Miller and Jiachuan Wu / NBC News ) Why has the rollout of COVID-19 testing been so slow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have generally need to be sent to a lab , and the process is slow .
Nicole Westman / The Verge ) The World Health Organization is livestreaming on TikTok to give people tips on how to stay safe and dispel myths about COVID-19 .
( TikTok ) Worried you might have COVID-19 ?
Vox.com has put together a nice guide to the most common questions about it , including how it spreads and what the symptoms are .
( Lois Parshley / Vox ) Here ’ s what ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s health-care company Verily ran tests for about 20 people on its first day of screening for the coronavirus .
The firm said it is working with the state of California to expand the program .
( Gerrit De Vynck / Bloomberg ) Facebook is adding $ 1,000 to its employees ’ next paychecks to deal with the coronavirus fallout .
It ’ s also giving everyone their full bonus for the quarter regardless of their performance .
Google is delaying the rollout of its informational coronavirus website to “ later this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center of the controversy we talked about yesterday .
( Dieter Bohn / The Verge ) Apple is keeping its retail stores outside mainland China closed indefinitely as the global spread of the coronavirus continues .
The iPhone maker was originally targeting March 27th to reopen locations in the US and elsewhere around the world .
( Nick Statt / The Verge ) Demand for Amazon delivery is soaring as more people are forced to stay home .
Some Amazon workers worry the situation is creating a potential health crisis , and say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect them .
( Caroline O ’ Donovan and Ken Bensinger / BuzzFeed ) Amazon is prioritizing the shipment of “ household staples , medical supplies and other high-demand products ” due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The company is also suspending some of its “ Fulfillment by Amazon ” program , which typically provides warehouse and shipping services for products from third-party sellers .
( Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch ) At least five workers at Amazon warehouses in Europe have contracted the coronavirus .
It ’ s a sobering development for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to deal with the spike in orders .
( Matt Day , Daniele Lepido , Helene Fouquet and Macarena Munoz Montijano / Bloomberg ) CVS ’ s Chief Medical Officer sent employees an email with tips on how to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic .
It included strikingly similar misinformation from the fake Stanford tips we debunked here .
Not a good look for a pharmacy !
Uber expanded its previously announced policy on sick pay for drivers during the coronavirus pandemic .
Now , drivers who test positive for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the result of public health advice will be eligible for up to 14 days of paid sick leave .
( Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge ) Uber and Lyft suspended Uber Pool and shared rides due to the worsening outbreak of COVID-19 .
UberX and Uber Eats are still running .
( Ryan Broderick / BuzzFeed ) Coronavirus has prompted a wave of direct donations for individuals and businesses hardest hit by the crisis .
The giving campaigns are often organized on social media .
( Nicholas Kulish / The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and learning from home during the pandemic , internet networks are being pushed to the limit .
Many providers are rolling out new policies to help people who can ’ t pay their bills , and preparing to increase capacity on the networks if needed .
( Davey Alba and Cecilia Kang / The New York Times ) Coronavirus testing shouldn ’ t be this hard , but limited investment in the necessary technology means the US is lagging behind other countries in terms of getting fast , reliable tests out the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Coronavirus is making Instagram more intimate .
Without a steady stream of brunch photos and beach-vacation selfies , the platform has mutated into close-up scrapbooks of days spent cooped up inside .
( Kaitlyn Tiffany / The Atlantic ) ⭐The Justice Department dropped its two-year-long prosecution of a Russian company indicted in the Mueller election interference probe .
The company was one of three businesses indicted for allegedly carrying out a long-running scheme to criminally interfere with the 2016 election .
This seems like a disaster .
Here ’ s Spencer S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s misinformation problem is rooted in its business model : data-targeted ads and algorithmically optimized content .
In a new report , researchers at Ranking Digital Rights lay out a prescription for fixing the company .
Here ’ s a good interview with one of the report ’ s co-authors .
( Russell Brandom / The Verge ) ⭐Zoom has become the place where we work , go to school and party these days .
And while the company was prepared to grow when the coronavirus started to spread , nothing could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phenomenon .
Here ’ s Taylor Lorenz at The New York Times : A day in the life of a bike messenger who rides for DoorDash , Uber Eats , and Postmates , in the time of coronavirus .
“ I thought I ’ d be getting fat-ass tips .
I ’ m not getting fat-ass tips , ” he said .
People — the time to give fat-ass tips is now .
( Matt DeCaro / Vice ) Sleep gadgets—like the Oura ring worn by Jack Dorsey — are everywhere .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still sleeping very well .
( Ruth Reader / Fast Company ) Nintendo ’ s online services temporarily went down .
It could be a reflection of high demand during the pandemic .
( Michael McWhertor / Polygon ) Facebook ’ s Oculus Quest is getting a major UI overhaul that the company says represents “ a step toward VR becoming the next computing platform.
” ( Sam Byford / The Verge ) Cameo turned D-list celebrities into an addictive monetization machine by allowing them to charge for shout-outs .
Now , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2,500 to send short videos , delivered via text or email .
And you can do it from home .
The perfect pandemic business !
( Patrick J. Sauer / Marker ) Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Browse this list of projects that can help with the COVID-19 response .
It ’ s geared toward software engineers , but anyone can make a contribution .
Designers and product managers would also probably be useful here .
As well as anyone who can donate .
Give Local .
Support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card online .
Lots to choose from in San Francisco , Austin , Chicago , New York , and more .
Save Our Faves is a similar idea focused on San Francisco from Mike and Kaitlyn Krieger .
( You may remember Mike from such previous projects as Instagram . )
Here are 450 free Ivy League courses you can take at home .
Get smart while you pass the time !
Make one of these toasts .
A definitive ranked list by a former Verge staffer .
Play Kingdom Rush Frontiers ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Origins ( iOS and Android ) , two of the best tower-defense strategy games ever made .
I have spent days of my life playing this game , and now they ’ re free for a week .
Subscribe to Shudder , a streaming service for horror movies .
It ’ s free for the next 30 days .
Distract yourself from terror with a more entertaining form of terror !
Send us tips , comments , questions , and ways to pass the time indoors : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ @ @

Today, let’s talk about some of the front-line workers at Facebook and Google working on the pandemic: the content moderators who keep the site running day in and day out. Like most stories about content moderators, it’s a tale about difficult tradeoffs. And actions taken over the past few days by Facebook and YouTube will have significant implications for the future of the business.
First, though, some history.
At first, content moderation on social networks was a business problem: let in the nudity and the Nazis, and the community collapses. Later, it was a legal and regulatory problem: despite the protections afforded by Section 230, companies have a legal obligation to remove terrorist propaganda, child abuse imagery, and other forms of content. As services like YouTube and Facebook grew user bases in the billions, content moderation became more of a scale problem: how do you review the millions of posts a day that get reported for violating your policies?
The solution, as I explored last year in a series of pieces for The Verge, was to outsource the job to large consulting companies. In the wake of the 2016 election, which revealed a deficit of content moderators at all the big social networks, tech companies hired tens of thousands of moderators around the world through firms including Accenture, Cognizant, and Genpact. This, though, created a privacy problem. When your moderators work in house, you can apply strict controls to their computers to monitor the access they have to user data. When they work for third parties, that user data is at much greater risk of leaking to the outside world.
The privacy issues surrounding the hiring of moderators generally haven’t gotten much attention from journalists like me. (Instead we have been paying attention to their generally awful working conditions and the fact that a subset of workers are developing post-traumatic stress disorder from the job.) But inside tech companies, fears over data leaks ran strong. For Facebook in particular, the post-2016 election backlash had arisen partly over privacy concerns — once the world learned how Cambridge Analytica intended to use information gleaned from people’s Facebook use, trust in the company plunged precipitously.
That’s why outsourced content moderation sites for Facebook and YouTube were designed as secure rooms. Employees can work only on designated “production floors” that they must badge in and out of. They are not allowed to bring in any personal devices, lest they take surreptitious photos or attempt to smuggle out data another way. This can create havoc for workers — they are often fired for inadvertently bringing phones onto the production floor, and many of them have complained to me about the way that the divide separates them from their support networks during the day. But no company has been willing to relax those restrictions for fear of the public-relations crisis a high-profile data loss might spark.
Fast-forward to today, when a pandemic is spreading around the world at frightening speed. We still need just as many moderators working to police social networks, if not more — usage is clearly surging. If you bring them to the production floor to continue working normally, you almost certainly contribute to the spread of the disease. And yet if you let them work from home, you invite in a privacy disaster at a time when people (especially sick people) will be hyper-sensitive to misuses of their personal data.
Say you’re Facebook. What do you do?
Until Monday, the answer looked a lot like business as usual. Sam Biddle broke the story in The Intercept last week. (Incidentally, the publication that The Interface is most frequently mistaken for.)
Discussions from Facebook’s internal employee forum reviewed by The Intercept reveal a state of confusion, fear, and resentment, with many precariously employed hourly contract workers stating that, contrary to statements to them from Facebook, they are barred by their actual employers from working from home, despite the technical feasibility and clear public health benefits of doing so. The discussions focus on Facebook contractors employed by Accenture and WiPro at facilities in Austin, Texas, and Mountain View, California, including at least two Facebook offices. (In Mountain View, a local state of emergency has already been declared over the coronavirus.) The Intercept has seen posts from at least six contractors complaining about not being able to work from home and communicated with two more contractors directly about the matter. One Accenture employee told The Intercept that their entire team of over 20 contractors had been told that they were not permitted to work from home to avoid infection.
In fairness, Facebook was far from alone in not having deployed a full plan for its contractors last Thursday. Some American companies are still debating what to do with their full-time workforces this week. But as Biddle notes, Facebook wasn’t one of those: it was already encouraging employees to work from home. This prompted justified criticism from contract workers — some of whom petitioned Facebook to act, Noah Kulwin reported in The Outline. (Googlers are circulating a similar petition on behalf of their own contract coworkers, Rob Price reported at Business Insider.)
On Monday night, Facebook did act. As of Tuesday, it began to inform all contract moderators that they should not come into the office. Commendably, Facebook will continue to pay them during the disruption. Here’s the announcement:
For both our full-time employees and contract workforce there is some work that cannot be done from home due to safety, privacy and legal reasons. We have taken precautions to protect our workers by cutting down the number of people in any given office, implementing recommended work from home globally, physically spreading people out at any given office and doing additional cleaning. Given the rapidly evolving public health concerns, we are taking additional steps to protect our teams and will be working with our partners over the course of this week to send all contract workers who perform content review home, until further notice. We’ll ensure that all workers are paid during this time.
The news followed a similar announcement from Google on Sunday. It was followed by a joint announcement from Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube that they “are working closely together on COVID-19 response efforts,” including a commitment to remove fraud and misinformation related to the virus and promote “authoritative content.” (I’m told the announcement is unrelated to the shift in content moderation strategies, but it points to a future where companies collaborate more on removing harmful posts.)
OK, so the content moderators have mostly been sent home. How does stuff get ... moderated? Facebook allowed some moderators who work on less sensitive content — helping to train machine-learning systems for labeling content, for example — to work from home. More sensitive work is being shifted to full-time employees. But the company will also begin to lean more heavily on those machine-learning systems in an effort to automate content moderation.
It’s the long-term goal of every social network to put artificial intelligence in charge. But as recently as December, Google was telling me that the day when such a thing would be possible was still quite far away. And yet on Monday the company — out of necessity — changed its tune. Here’s Jake Kastrenakes at The Verge:
YouTube will rely more on AI to moderate videos during the coronavirus pandemic, since many of its human reviewers are being sent home to limit the spread of the virus. This means videos may be taken down from the site purely because they’re flagged by AI as potentially violating a policy, whereas the videos might normally get routed to a human reviewer to confirm that they should be taken down. [...] Because of the heavier reliance on AI, YouTube basically says we have to expect that some mistakes are going to be made. More videos may end up getting removed, “including some videos that may not violate policies,” the company writes in a blog post. Other content won’t be promoted or show up in search and recommendations until it’s reviewed by humans. YouTube says it largely won’t issue strikes — which can lead to a ban — for content that gets taken down by AI (with the exception of videos it has a “high confidence” are against its policies). As always, creators can still appeal a video that was taken down, but YouTube warns this process will also be delayed because of the reduction in human moderation.
All that represents a huge bet on AI at a time when, as the company itself notes, it is still quite error-prone. And on Monday evening, both Facebook and Twitter followed suit. Here’s Paresh Dave in Reuters:
Facebook also said the decision to rely more on automated tools, which learn to identify offensive material by analyzing digital clues for aspects common to previous takedowns, has limitations. “We may see some longer response times and make more mistakes as a result,” it said. Twitter said it too would step up use of similar automation, but would not ban users based solely on automated enforcement, because of accuracy concerns.
So many of tech platforms’ troubles with regulators and elected officials over the past couple years have come down to content moderation. Which posts did they allow to stay up? Which did they wrongfully take down? Which posts did they amplify, and which did they suppress?
At global scale, the companies were making plenty of mistakes even with the benefit of human judgment. As of Tuesday, they will be entrusting significantly more to the machines. The day one result was not great. Here’s Josh Constine in TechCruch:
Facebook appears to have a bug in its News Feed spam filter, causing URLs to legitimate websites including Medium, BuzzFeed, and USA Today to be blocked from being shared as posts or comments. The issue is blocking shares of some coronavirus-related content, while some unrelated links are allowed through, though it’s not clear what exactly is or isn’t tripping the filter. Facebook has been trying to fight back against misinformation related to the outbreak, but may have gotten overzealous or experienced a technical error.
I’m sure that bug will be fixed before too long. (Facebook says it’s not related to changes in content moderation.) In the meantime, my thoughts are with the moderators who kept showing up to work every day for the past week even as they knew it put them in physical danger. One Facebook moderator working for Accenture recalled how the company began putting out more hand sanitizer in February as the threat worsened, but waited until Tuesday to tell him to stay home. This came after days, if not weeks, of employees telling Accenture that their partners and roommates had been exposed to the disease.
“We were working with people who where exposed, definitely,” the moderator told me. “I think they have moved too late, and the actions initially taken were clearly insufficient.”
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼Trending up: Facebook plans to award $100 million in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 small businesses in 30 countries around the world. The money is aimed at helping them deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
🔼Trending up: Facebook partnered with the International Fact-Checking Network to give $50,000 grants to organizations working on fact-checking misinformation related to COVID-19. The total budget for the partnership is $1 million. (Poynter)
🔼Trending up: A group of the biggest tech companies in the US has banded together to fight coronavirus-related fraud and misinformation. The group includes Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube.
Pandemic
Here’s the latest in the United States:
Here’s a map of where coronavirus cases have been confirmed so far across the United States. (Sara G. Miller and Jiachuan Wu / NBC News)
Why has the rollout of COVID-19 testing been so slow in the United States? The tests we have generally need to be sent to a lab, and the process is slow. Nicole Westman / The Verge)
Here’s what’s going on with the big companies:
Alphabet’s health-care company Verily ran tests for about 20 people on its first day of screening for the coronavirus. The firm said it is working with the state of California to expand the program. (Gerrit De Vynck / Bloomberg)
Facebook is adding $1,000 to its employees’ next paychecks to deal with the coronavirus fallout. It’s also giving everyone their full bonus for the quarter regardless of their performance.
Apple is keeping its retail stores outside mainland China closed indefinitely as the global spread of the coronavirus continues. The iPhone maker was originally targeting March 27th to reopen locations in the US and elsewhere around the world. (Nick Statt / The Verge)
Demand for Amazon delivery is soaring as more people are forced to stay home. Some Amazon workers worry the situation is creating a potential health crisis, and say the company isn’t doing enough to protect them. (Caroline O’Donovan and Ken Bensinger / BuzzFeed)
Amazon is prioritizing the shipment of “household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products” due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company is also suspending some of its “Fulfillment by Amazon” program, which typically provides warehouse and shipping services for products from third-party sellers. (Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch)
At least five workers at Amazon warehouses in Europe have contracted the coronavirus. It’s a sobering development for a company already struggling to hire enough people to deal with the spike in orders. (Matt Day, Daniele Lepido, Helene Fouquet and Macarena Munoz Montijano / Bloomberg)
Uber expanded its previously announced policy on sick pay for drivers during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, drivers who test positive for COVID-19 or have their Uber accounts suspended as the result of public health advice will be eligible for up to 14 days of paid sick leave. (Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge)
Uber and Lyft suspended Uber Pool and shared rides due to the worsening outbreak of COVID-19. UberX and Uber Eats are still running. (Ryan Broderick / BuzzFeed)
Elsewhere:
Coronavirus has prompted a wave of direct donations for individuals and businesses hardest hit by the crisis. The giving campaigns are often organized on social media. (Nicholas Kulish / The New York Times)
With millions of people working and learning from home during the pandemic, internet networks are being pushed to the limit. Many providers are rolling out new policies to help people who can’t pay their bills, and preparing to increase capacity on the networks if needed. (Davey Alba and Cecilia Kang / The New York Times)
Coronavirus is making Instagram more intimate. Without a steady stream of brunch photos and beach-vacation selfies, the platform has mutated into close-up scrapbooks of days spent cooped up inside. (Kaitlyn Tiffany / The Atlantic)
Governing
⭐The Justice Department dropped its two-year-long prosecution of a Russian company indicted in the Mueller election interference probe. The company was one of three businesses indicted for allegedly carrying out a long-running scheme to criminally interfere with the 2016 election. This seems like a disaster. Here’s Spencer S. Hsu at The Washington Post:
Assistants to U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea of Washington and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers cited an unspecified “change in the balance of the government’s proof due to a classification determination,” according to a nine-page filing accompanied by facts under seal. Prosecutors also cited the failure of the company, Concord Management and Consulting, to comply with trial subpoenas and the submission of a “misleading, at best” affidavit by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a co-defendant and the company’s founder. Prigozhin is a catering magnate and military contractor known as “Putin’s chef” because of his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Facebook’s misinformation problem is rooted in its business model: data-targeted ads and algorithmically optimized content. In a new report, researchers at Ranking Digital Rights lay out a prescription for fixing the company. Here’s a good interview with one of the report’s co-authors. (Russell Brandom / The Verge)
Industry
⭐Zoom has become the place where we work, go to school and party these days. And while the company was prepared to grow when the coronavirus started to spread, nothing could have prepared it to become a cultural phenomenon. Here’s Taylor Lorenz at The New York Times:
A Facebook group for young people trapped at home called Zoom Memes for Self Quaranteens, founded less than a week ago, has already grown to more than 150,000 members. College students across the country are going on Zoom blind dates. Parents of sixth-graders at Rosenbaum Yeshiva Of North Jersey organized a Zoom “recess” for their children. Ethel’s Club, a wellness platform, is conducting Zoom tarot card readings, breath work and cannabis hangouts. It is a high-stakes moment for Zoom, which was founded in 2011 by Eric Yuan, a former Cisco Systems executive. Its sudden cultural cachet also brings new concerns over privacy, security, content moderation, safety for young people and sensitivity to the seriousness of the pandemic. There’s also the tiny matter of keeping the service up and running.
A day in the life of a bike messenger who rides for DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Postmates, in the time of coronavirus. “I thought I’d be getting fat-ass tips. I’m not getting fat-ass tips,” he said. People — the time to give fat-ass tips is now. (Matt DeCaro / Vice)
Sleep gadgets—like the Oura ring worn by Jack Dorsey — are everywhere. My main takeaway here is that Dorsey is still sleeping very well. (Ruth Reader / Fast Company)
Nintendo’s online services temporarily went down. It could be a reflection of high demand during the pandemic. (Michael McWhertor / Polygon)
Cameo turned D-list celebrities into an addictive monetization machine by allowing them to charge for shout-outs. Now, people pay them anywhere from $5 to $2,500 to send short videos, delivered via text or email. And you can do it from home. The perfect pandemic business! (Patrick J. Sauer / Marker)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Browse this list of projects that can help with the COVID-19 response. It’s geared toward software engineers, but anyone can make a contribution. Designers and product managers would also probably be useful here. As well as anyone who can donate.
Give Local. Support a local business by buying a gift card online. Lots to choose from in San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, New York, and more.
Save Our Faves is a similar idea focused on San Francisco from Mike and Kaitlyn Krieger. (You may remember Mike from such previous projects as Instagram.)
Here are 450 free Ivy League courses you can take at home. Get smart while you pass the time!
Make one of these toasts. A definitive ranked list by a former Verge staffer.
Play Kingdom Rush Frontiers (iOS and Android) and Kingdom Rush Origins (iOS and Android), two of the best tower-defense strategy games ever made. I have spent days of my life playing this game, and now they’re free for a week.
Subscribe to Shudder, a streaming service for horror movies. It’s free for the next 30 days. Distract yourself from terror with a more entertaining form of terror!
And finally...
Talk to us


theverge--2020-03-18--LG’s 48-inch OLED TV goes on sale in June for $1,500

Last week LG said its 2020 lineup of TVs will start rolling out in the US this month , but didn ’ t give precise dates or pricing information .
Now , via CNET , we know a little more .
In fact , only one model will be available in March — the $ 1,800 55-inch CX , LG ’ s mainstream 4K OLED set .
The other CX sizes are coming in different months : April for the $ 2,800 65-inch , May for the $ 5,000 77-inch , and June for the new 48-inch size , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,500 .
That might not be as cheap as you were hoping , given that the 55-inch C9 from 2019 has often been available on sale for around that much , but prices will no doubt similarly go down throughout the year .
The entry-level BX OLED models are both arriving in May at $ 1,500 for the 55-inch and $ 2,300 for the 65-inch .
That follows the ultra-thin “ gallery ” GX line in April — $ 2,500 for the 55-inch , $ 3,500 for the 65-inch , or $ 6,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ wallpaper ” WX is coming for $ 5,000 in June .
Finally , if you really feel like splashing out , you ’ ll be able to buy a new 8K OLED TV in May .
The 77-inch ZX will cost $ 20,000 , while the 88-inch model is $ 30,000 .
LG assures CNET that the coronavirus pandemic won ’ t affect the launch of these models , though it sounds like the company is exploring the possibility of limited supply .
“ Although at this time we are not experiencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways to minimize the effect on our production schedule in the event of a drawn-out scenario , ” SVP of public affairs John Taylor says .

Last week LG said its 2020 lineup of TVs will start rolling out in the US this month, but didn’t give precise dates or pricing information. Now, via CNET, we know a little more. In fact, only one model will be available in March — the $1,800 55-inch CX, LG’s mainstream 4K OLED set.
The other CX sizes are coming in different months: April for the $2,800 65-inch, May for the $5,000 77-inch, and June for the new 48-inch size, which is going to set you back $1,500. That might not be as cheap as you were hoping, given that the 55-inch C9 from 2019 has often been available on sale for around that much, but prices will no doubt similarly go down throughout the year.
The entry-level BX OLED models are both arriving in May at $1,500 for the 55-inch and $2,300 for the 65-inch. That follows the ultra-thin “gallery” GX line in April — $2,500 for the 55-inch, $3,500 for the 65-inch, or $6,000 for the 77-inch — while the 65-inch “wallpaper” WX is coming for $5,000 in June.
Finally, if you really feel like splashing out, you’ll be able to buy a new 8K OLED TV in May. The 77-inch ZX will cost $20,000, while the 88-inch model is $30,000.


theverge--2020-03-17--Tesla told to shut down California factory to help fight the coronavirus

Tesla is not exempt from the San Francisco Bay Area ’ s new coronavirus shelter-in-place order , and should suspend normal operations at its Fremont , California factory for three weeks , according to county officials and the local sheriff ’ s office .
This comes after Tesla kept its factory open and running today , the first day that the new order was in place .
The shelter-in-place order was announced yesterday by the leaders of six counties in the Bay Area as part of a collective effort to slow the spread of the virus .
Citizens were asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ essential activities ” like buying food , and “ nonessential businesses ” were ordered to shut down .
Tesla ’ s human resources head Valerie Workman reportedly told employees in an email that she believed Tesla would be considered an “ essential business ” and therefore would be exempt from the order to close .
Tesla ’ s automotive manufacturing businesses did not appear to directly fit the language of an “ essential business ” in the text of the order , but Workman told employees that the Department of Homeland Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Infrastructure.
” It ’ s unclear what the next step is “ People need access to transportation and energy , and we are essential to providing it , ” she reportedly wrote in the email , adding that Tesla has “ been in close communication with the State of California , Alameda County , and the City of Fremont , regarding the federal government ’ s guidance.
” Tesla CEO Elon Musk has underplayed the pandemic in emails to his various companies .
He said in one that he thinks the risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the coronavirus , “ is *vastly* less than the risk of death from driving your car home , ” adding that there are “ about 36 thousand automotive deaths per [ year ] , as compared to 36 so far this year for C19.
” ( Since then , that number has more than doubled in the US . )
He also said his “ frank opinion remains that the harm from the coronavirus panic far exceeds that of the virus itself.
” Musk did tell employees that they can stay home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it ’ s unclear if the company is offering paid leave to those workers .
Tesla has not responded to multiple emails , texts , and phone calls about the state of its Fremont factory , where the Model 3 , Model S , Model X , and now the Model Y are assembled .
The California Governor ’ s office , the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency , the Alameda County Sheriff ’ s office , and the City of Fremont did not respond to requests for comment .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Tuesday that Tesla is “ not an essential business as defined in the Alameda County Health Order , ” and said “ Tesla can maintain minimum basic operations ” per the order .
Tesla can only keep minimum operations up and running , like payroll “ Minimum Basic Operations ” are defined by the order as “ [ t ] he minimum necessary activities to maintain the value of the business ’ s inventory , ensure security , process payroll and employee benefits , or for related functions , ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to facilitate employees of the business being able to continue to work remotely from their residences.
” Other US automakers have yet to shut down their manufacturing facilities , though they are not located in the Bay Area , which was the first place to impose such strict lockdown guidelines as part of the fight to stop the pandemic .
However , those automakers are facing increasing pressure from the United Auto Workers union and others to pause operations .

Tesla is not exempt from the San Francisco Bay Area’s new coronavirus shelter-in-place order, and should suspend normal operations at its Fremont, California factory for three weeks, according to county officials and the local sheriff’s office. This comes after Tesla kept its factory open and running today, the first day that the new order was in place.
The shelter-in-place order was announced yesterday by the leaders of six counties in the Bay Area as part of a collective effort to slow the spread of the virus. Citizens were asked not to leave their homes except for “essential activities” like buying food, and “nonessential businesses” were ordered to shut down.
Tesla’s human resources head Valerie Workman reportedly told employees in an email that she believed Tesla would be considered an “essential business” and therefore would be exempt from the order to close. Tesla’s automotive manufacturing businesses did not appear to directly fit the language of an “essential business” in the text of the order, but Workman told employees that the Department of Homeland Security considers it to be “National Critical Infrastructure.”
It’s unclear what the next step is
“People need access to transportation and energy, and we are essential to providing it,” she reportedly wrote in the email, adding that Tesla has “been in close communication with the State of California, Alameda County, and the City of Fremont, regarding the federal government’s guidance.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has underplayed the pandemic in emails to his various companies. He said in one that he thinks the risk of dying from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, “is *vastly* less than the risk of death from driving your car home,” adding that there are “about 36 thousand automotive deaths per [year], as compared to 36 so far this year for C19.” (Since then, that number has more than doubled in the US.) He also said his “frank opinion remains that the harm from the coronavirus panic far exceeds that of the virus itself.”
Musk did tell employees that they can stay home if they feel ill or uncomfortable, but it’s unclear if the company is offering paid leave to those workers.
Tesla has not responded to multiple emails, texts, and phone calls about the state of its Fremont factory, where the Model 3, Model S, Model X, and now the Model Y are assembled. The California Governor’s office, the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, the Alameda County Sheriff’s office, and the City of Fremont did not respond to requests for comment.
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office tweeted late Tuesday that Tesla is “not an essential business as defined in the Alameda County Health Order,” and said “Tesla can maintain minimum basic operations” per the order.
Tesla can only keep minimum operations up and running, like payroll
“Minimum Basic Operations” are defined by the order as “[t]he minimum necessary activities to maintain the value of the business’s inventory, ensure security, process payroll and employee benefits, or for related functions,” and “[t]he minimum necessary activities to facilitate employees of the business being able to continue to work remotely from their residences.”


theverge--2020-03-18--The new iPad Pro’s LIDAR scanner can turn a living room into an AR game of Hot Lava

The new iPad Pro ’ s LIDAR scanner can turn a living room into an augmented reality version of Hot Lava , a video game based on the childhood pastime where you jump on furniture to avoid imaginary lava on the floor .
The announcement was included as part of today ’ s iPad Pro announcement .
Hot Lava is available on Steam , but its mobile version is currently an Apple Arcade exclusive .
According to Apple , “ The LiDAR Scanner on the new iPad Pro will enable Hot Lava ’ s new AR mode , available later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clever way to show off the capabilities of the LIDAR scanner .
A player scans a living room with an iPad , and the app generates hot lava on the floor and platforms for the game ’ s character to jump on in AR .
Here ’ s a GIF of the app in action : Alongside the AR version of Hot Lava , Apple also showed some other impressive uses of the LIDAR scanner to journalists over a briefing earlier today .
One , for the CAD app Shapr3D , scans a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the room in the app .
Users can then edit that model to add new objects into the room and look at those additions in the real room using AR .
Another demo , for the anatomy app Complete Anatomy , uses the LIDAR scanner to measure the range of motion of someone ’ s arm in real time in real time .
And a demo for the IKEA Place app scans a room and recommends matching furniture that you can view in the room in AR .
All of the demos shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respective apps later this year , according to Apple .
The new iPad Pros also have two cameras , a regular wide-angle and an ultrawide , an A12Z Bionic chip , and are compatible with the new Magic Keyboard cover , which has a trackpad .
The new iPad Pros will be available starting March 25th .

The new iPad Pro’s LIDAR scanner can turn a living room into an augmented reality version of Hot Lava, a video game based on the childhood pastime where you jump on furniture to avoid imaginary lava on the floor. The announcement was included as part of today’s iPad Pro announcement.
Hot Lava is available on Steam, but its mobile version is currently an Apple Arcade exclusive. According to Apple, “The LiDAR Scanner on the new iPad Pro will enable Hot Lava’s new AR mode, available later this year.”
The game is a clever way to show off the capabilities of the LIDAR scanner. A player scans a living room with an iPad, and the app generates hot lava on the floor and platforms for the game’s character to jump on in AR. Here’s a GIF of the app in action:
Alongside the AR version of Hot Lava, Apple also showed some other impressive uses of the LIDAR scanner to journalists over a briefing earlier today. One, for the CAD app Shapr3D, scans a room and makes a 3D model of the room in the app. Users can then edit that model to add new objects into the room and look at those additions in the real room using AR.
Another demo, for the anatomy app Complete Anatomy, uses the LIDAR scanner to measure the range of motion of someone’s arm in real time in real time. And a demo for the IKEA Place app scans a room and recommends matching furniture that you can view in the room in AR.
All of the demos shown will become available as features in their respective apps later this year, according to Apple.
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The new iPad Pros also have two cameras, a regular wide-angle and an ultrawide, an A12Z Bionic chip, and are compatible with the new Magic Keyboard cover, which has a trackpad. The new iPad Pros will be available starting March 25th.


theverge--2020-03-18--Friends reunion special at HBO Max reportedly delayed

HBO Max ’ s heavily anticipated Friends reunion special will be delayed as production across Hollywood shuts down amid the coronavirus pandemic , according to The Hollywood Reporter .
There is no estimated release date at this time , but a company spokesperson told AdWeek that “ at this point , we anticipate launching HBO Max with the Friends Reunion Special.
” It ’ s seemingly all dependent on how long studios continue to delay productions .
The special , which would reunite original cast members Jennifer Aniston ( Rachel ) , Courtney Cox ( Monica ) , Lisa Kudrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ross ) , Matthew Perry ( Chandler ) , and Matt LeBlanc ( Joey ) , was a launch title for WarnerMedia ’ s new streaming service , HBO Max .
The cast is set to “ earn more than double their former per-episode fee for the reunion and be paid between $ 2.5 million and $ 3 million for the special , ” according to The Hollywood Reporter .
There ’ s no new release date for the Friends reunion special The one-time special was reportedly set to film between March 23rd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sets and productions shut down around the world in an attempt to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus , production of the Friends reunion was halted , too .
It will now reportedly film in May at the earliest .
The Friends special is a pretty big deal for HBO Max .
It marked the first time the cast would reunite on screen together since the show went off the air in 2004 .
Having the special at launch in May could have led to an increase in initial subscribers for HBO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of event programming that streamers are looking for — a type of high-profile series that Disney Plus found in The Mandalorian and Netflix found with Stranger Things and more recently with Love is Blind .
HBO Max will also be the exclusive streaming home for Friends .
The show was available to stream on Netflix up until January 1st .
WarnerMedia paid an estimated $ 425 million for the rights to the series .
WarnerMedia hasn ’ t said if HBO Max ’ s launch will be affected by the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ May , will combine HBO ’ s archive of celebrated programming with new shows and films , alongside Warner Bros. movies and new original series .
It ’ s set to launch at $ 14.99 a month — the current price of HBO Now — making it one of the higher priced services .
Netflix ’ s most popular plan is $ 12.99 a month , while Disney Plus is $ 6.99 a month and Apple TV Plus comes in at $ 4.99 a month .
Update March 18th , 7:28PM ET : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement from WarnerMedia regarding the launch of HBO Max and the Friends reunion special .

HBO Max’s heavily anticipated Friends reunion special will be delayed as production across Hollywood shuts down amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Hollywood Reporter. There is no estimated release date at this time, but a company spokesperson told AdWeek that “at this point, we anticipate launching HBO Max with the Friends Reunion Special.” It’s seemingly all dependent on how long studios continue to delay productions.
The special, which would reunite original cast members Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), Courtney Cox (Monica), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), David Schwimmer (Ross), Matthew Perry (Chandler), and Matt LeBlanc (Joey), was a launch title for WarnerMedia’s new streaming service, HBO Max. The cast is set to “earn more than double their former per-episode fee for the reunion and be paid between $2.5 million and $3 million for the special,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
There’s no new release date for the Friends reunion special
The one-time special was reportedly set to film between March 23rd and March 24th, but as multiple sets and productions shut down around the world in an attempt to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, production of the Friends reunion was halted, too. It will now reportedly film in May at the earliest.
The Friends special is a pretty big deal for HBO Max. It marked the first time the cast would reunite on screen together since the show went off the air in 2004. Having the special at launch in May could have led to an increase in initial subscribers for HBO Max. It’s the type of event programming that streamers are looking for — a type of high-profile series that Disney Plus found in The Mandalorian and Netflix found with Stranger Things and more recently with Love is Blind.
HBO Max will also be the exclusive streaming home for Friends. The show was available to stream on Netflix up until January 1st. WarnerMedia paid an estimated $425 million for the rights to the series. WarnerMedia hasn’t said if HBO Max’s launch will be affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
HBO Max, set to launch in May, will combine HBO’s archive of celebrated programming with new shows and films, alongside Warner Bros. movies and new original series. It’s set to launch at $14.99 a month — the current price of HBO Now — making it one of the higher priced services. Netflix’s most popular plan is $12.99 a month, while Disney Plus is $6.99 a month and Apple TV Plus comes in at $4.99 a month.


theverge--2020-03-18--Schools can get direct connectivity help from carriers after new FCC ruling

On Wednesday , the Federal Communications Commission temporarily waived rules in a move to foster internet access for hospitals and schools stuck in the broadband gap as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt everyday life .
In its announcement , the FCC said that it would waive the “ gift rules ” included in its Rural Health Care and E-Rate education programs that forbid participating hospitals and schools from accepting or requesting additional hardware and services from internet service providers .
These rules will be null until September 20th , 2020 and could allow providers to upgrade these institutions ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to schools and libraries to administer to students who don ’ t have access to the internet at home .
“ The increase in COVID-19 patients is presenting unique challenges to America ’ s hospitals and health care providers , ” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement .
“ And we strongly encourage service providers and equipment makers to partner with schools and libraries to provide mobile hotspots and other broadband-enabled devices to students to help bridge the digital divide during the coronavirus pandemic.
” Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Verge on Tuesday .
In a statement on Wednesday , Rosenworcel called on the commission to continue its work in connecting students and health care workers during the coronavirus crisis by “ using our universal service powers to provide hotspots for loan for students caught in the Homework Gap so that no child is offline.
” Because of the coronavirus pandemic , schools across the country have started to shut down classes or move them online .
According to a UNESCO study , about 850 million kids around the world have stopped going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools that decide to hold classes over the internet , they face new challenges in ensuring each student has the same access to information as their peers .

On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission temporarily waived rules in a move to foster internet access for hospitals and schools stuck in the broadband gap as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt everyday life.
In its announcement, the FCC said that it would waive the “gift rules” included in its Rural Health Care and E-Rate education programs that forbid participating hospitals and schools from accepting or requesting additional hardware and services from internet service providers. These rules will be null until September 20th, 2020 and could allow providers to upgrade these institutions’ network capacity and loan out Wi-Fi hotspots to schools and libraries to administer to students who don’t have access to the internet at home.
“The increase in COVID-19 patients is presenting unique challenges to America’s hospitals and health care providers,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. “And we strongly encourage service providers and equipment makers to partner with schools and libraries to provide mobile hotspots and other broadband-enabled devices to students to help bridge the digital divide during the coronavirus pandemic.”
Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel called for this action in an op-ed for The Verge on Tuesday. In a statement on Wednesday, Rosenworcel called on the commission to continue its work in connecting students and health care workers during the coronavirus crisis by “using our universal service powers to provide hotspots for loan for students caught in the Homework Gap so that no child is offline.”


theverge--2020-03-18--Apple’s new iPad Pro gets Wi-Fi 6 before the MacBook line

Apple announced a new iPad Pro today , introducing a slew of much-needed features to the tablet , including support for the next generation of Wi-Fi , a feature that has not previously been available on either iPads or MacBooks .
Wi-Fi 6 arrived a little over a year ago , and routers supporting the new generation of Wi-Fi are starting to become more common .
Wi-Fi 6 chips are still being integrated into laptops and smartphones , though — not even the 16-inch MacBook Pro from late last year or the new MacBook Air announced this morning include Wi-Fi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products to offer Wi-Fi 6 are the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro .
Wi-Fi 6 is more than just a simple speed boost Wi-Fi 6 is more than just a simple speed boost .
It ’ s meant to improve wireless networks when there are multiple devices connected .
On average , US households have about nine Wi-Fi-enabled devices , which can take a significant toll on your router .
Wi-Fi 6 allows routers to better multitask to maintain consistently reliable connections .
The new iPad Pros are slated to launch on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition to Wi-Fi 6 chips , the new tablets will also include a faster processor , a LIDAR camera , and support for a new keyboard with a built-in trackpad .

Apple announced a new iPad Pro today, introducing a slew of much-needed features to the tablet, including support for the next generation of Wi-Fi, a feature that has not previously been available on either iPads or MacBooks.
Wi-Fi 6 arrived a little over a year ago, and routers supporting the new generation of Wi-Fi are starting to become more common. Wi-Fi 6 chips are still being integrated into laptops and smartphones, though — not even the 16-inch MacBook Pro from late last year or the new MacBook Air announced this morning include Wi-Fi 6 chips. The only previous Apple products to offer Wi-Fi 6 are the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.
Wi-Fi 6 is more than just a simple speed boost
Wi-Fi 6 is more than just a simple speed boost. It’s meant to improve wireless networks when there are multiple devices connected. On average, US households have about nine Wi-Fi-enabled devices, which can take a significant toll on your router. Wi-Fi 6 allows routers to better multitask to maintain consistently reliable connections.


theverge--2020-03-18--Tesla will cut California factory workforce after coronavirus shelter-in-place order

Tesla will reduce its workforce at its Fremont , California , car factory after the local Sheriff ’ s Office said the company was not complying with a three-week shelter-in-place order meant to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus , BuzzFeed News is reporting .
The Silicon Valley automaker will drop from around 10,000 employees to 2,500 , though it ’ s unclear when the scaleback will take place , or what the company is doing to prevent those workers from being infected with or spreading the virus .
The shelter-in-place order was announced on Monday in six counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it went into effect early Tuesday morning .
All nonessential businesses were told to close down , and millions of residents were told to only leave their homes for essential activities like buying food .
But Tesla continued to operate at full capacity in the interim .
That prompted the Alameda County Sheriff ’ s Office to tweet late on Tuesday that the company ’ s automotive factory was “ not an essential business as defined in the Alameda County Health Order.
” It ’ s unclear if the employees will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tesla was supposed to only “ maintain minimum basic operations ” per the order , according to the Sheriff ’ s Office , meaning reducing the workforce to bare essentials like processing payroll to help fight the virus ’ spread .
As of the time this article was published , there were 31 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , in Alameda County .
“ If they are continuing to operate , then they are violating the directive in the health and safety code of California , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ray Kelly told Forbes on Wednesday .
“ They are going to have to deal with anything that comes from that.
” “ It ’ s not an issue that we are going to take lightly considering the fact that it ’ s a big employer in the state and the county with 10,000 employees that come in every day to work in the factory , ” Kelly later told The Washington Post on Wednesday .
In emails to employees , Tesla has said it was told by the Department of Homeland Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Critical Infrastructure , ” superseding the local designation that it is “ nonessential.
” It ’ s unclear who made that call at DHS .
Neither the agency nor Tesla has responded to multiple requests for comment .
“ Keeping the plant open is mission critical to Tesla right now.
” In those emails , Tesla has told employees that they will have to use their paid time off days if they decide to stay home and to borrow days from other employees if they are out .
It ’ s unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be told to stay home as part of the reduction .
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also underplayed the threat of the virus in emails to employees , comparing it in one email to the number of deaths from car crashes each year .
The shelter-in-place order came just hours after Tesla officially announced that it had started delivering the Model Y.
It ’ s the company ’ s fifth electric car , and one that is expected to sell as well or maybe even better than the Model 3 .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push as many cars out the door at the end of each financial quarter ( the first quarter ends on March 31st ) , could help explain why the company was so reluctant to shut down despite the fact that other automakers are suspending US operations , according to JD Power ’ s Tyson Jominy .
“ Keeping the plant open is mission critical to Tesla right now , ” he says .
“ You don ’ t get two chances to launch a product .
Being told you can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you ’ re ramping up production and deliveries , that ’ s a critical time in any company ’ s life , but particularly Tesla ’ s. ” “ They ’ re expecting big things out of the Model Y , and I don ’ t blame them .
Unless the Sheriff is there stopping people from entering , they ’ ve got to get that vehicle out the door to fund operations , ” Jominy added .

Tesla will reduce its workforce at its Fremont, California, car factory after the local Sheriff’s Office said the company was not complying with a three-week shelter-in-place order meant to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, BuzzFeed News is reporting. The Silicon Valley automaker will drop from around 10,000 employees to 2,500, though it’s unclear when the scaleback will take place, or what the company is doing to prevent those workers from being infected with or spreading the virus.
The shelter-in-place order was announced on Monday in six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it went into effect early Tuesday morning. All nonessential businesses were told to close down, and millions of residents were told to only leave their homes for essential activities like buying food. But Tesla continued to operate at full capacity in the interim. That prompted the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to tweet late on Tuesday that the company’s automotive factory was “not an essential business as defined in the Alameda County Health Order.”
It’s unclear if the employees will be paid while on leave
This meant that Tesla was supposed to only “maintain minimum basic operations” per the order, according to the Sheriff’s Office, meaning reducing the workforce to bare essentials like processing payroll to help fight the virus’ spread. As of the time this article was published, there were 31 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in Alameda County.
“If they are continuing to operate, then they are violating the directive in the health and safety code of California,” Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ray Kelly told Forbes on Wednesday. “They are going to have to deal with anything that comes from that.”
“It’s not an issue that we are going to take lightly considering the fact that it’s a big employer in the state and the county with 10,000 employees that come in every day to work in the factory,” Kelly later told The Washington Post on Wednesday. He also told BuzzFeed that car manufacturing “violates our health order” even with a workforce reduction, and that the Sheriff’s Office is still therefore “asking [Tesla] to go to basic minimum functions.” So a lot is still unclear.
In emails to employees, Tesla has said it was told by the Department of Homeland Security that the company should be considered “National Critical Infrastructure,” superseding the local designation that it is “nonessential.” It’s unclear who made that call at DHS. Neither the agency nor Tesla has responded to multiple requests for comment.
“Keeping the plant open is mission critical to Tesla right now.”
In those emails, Tesla has told employees that they will have to use their paid time off days if they decide to stay home and to borrow days from other employees if they are out. It’s unclear if Tesla will pay the employees who will be told to stay home as part of the reduction. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also underplayed the threat of the virus in emails to employees, comparing it in one email to the number of deaths from car crashes each year.
The shelter-in-place order came just hours after Tesla officially announced that it had started delivering the Model Y. It’s the company’s fifth electric car, and one that is expected to sell as well or maybe even better than the Model 3. That, mixed with how Tesla always tries to push as many cars out the door at the end of each financial quarter (the first quarter ends on March 31st), could help explain why the company was so reluctant to shut down despite the fact that other automakers are suspending US operations, according to JD Power’s Tyson Jominy.
“Keeping the plant open is mission critical to Tesla right now,” he says. “You don’t get two chances to launch a product. Being told you can’t produce it right at the exact moment when you’re ramping up production and deliveries, that’s a critical time in any company’s life, but particularly Tesla’s.”
“They’re expecting big things out of the Model Y, and I don’t blame them. Unless the Sheriff is there stopping people from entering, they’ve got to get that vehicle out the door to fund operations,” Jominy added.


theverge--2020-03-18--Nextdoor adds features to help neighbors during the coronavirus crisis

Nextdoor , the social networking app designed around local communities , is launching a new interactive map to let neighbors offer help to one another during the novel coronavirus outbreak .
Called Help Map , the tool lets you mark yourself as available to help with anything from grocery shopping to child care .
It will be available in the US starting today and will come to international markets later this week .
The company also says it ’ s bringing its Groups feature out of beta globally to let neighbors organize during the crisis .
Once you add yourself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , home location , and profile picture will be displayed to your local community , and you can list the ways in which you ’ re able to assist your neighbors .
Members will then have the ability to message you on the platform if they ’ re in need of help .
It ’ s a thoughtful feature for the social network to include , especially since different groups are at wildly different levels of risk from the virus .
Your details will be listed on an interactive map to let neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbors needs to make sure they ’ re following the advice of health authorities like the WHO or CDC , however .
Make sure you ’ re washing your hands regularly and maintaining a personal separation of six feet to minimize the risk to your community .
If you ’ ve had any flu-like symptoms , then the most helpful thing you can do for your at-risk neighbors is to self-isolate , rather than risk passing on your infection .
Meanwhile , the social network ’ s new Groups feature is also coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a part of Nextdoor for a while , but the new version allows you to create groups with people that are farther afield , rather than limiting you to your immediate neighbors .
Nextdoor says it has seen more groups being created recently as people deal with the realities of social-distancing .
The company gives the example of people creating groups to manage child care during coronavirus-related school closures , or using hobbies like baking to while away the hours spent at home .
The service plans to encourage the creation of groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of active conversation threads .
Nextdoor is one of many tech companies helping people cope with the spread of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
Google , for example , plans to launch a new website to provide information on the outbreak later this week , while Microsoft ’ s Bing team has made an interactive map to track the number of cases worldwide .
Elsewhere , film studios like Disney and Universal Pictures are changing their release schedules to make their films available to stream early during the @ @

Nextdoor, the social networking app designed around local communities, is launching a new interactive map to let neighbors offer help to one another during the novel coronavirus outbreak. Called Help Map, the tool lets you mark yourself as available to help with anything from grocery shopping to child care. It will be available in the US starting today and will come to international markets later this week. The company also says it’s bringing its Groups feature out of beta globally to let neighbors organize during the crisis.
Once you add yourself to the Help Map, your name, home location, and profile picture will be displayed to your local community, and you can list the ways in which you’re able to assist your neighbors. Members will then have the ability to message you on the platform if they’re in need of help. It’s a thoughtful feature for the social network to include, especially since different groups are at wildly different levels of risk from the virus.
Your details will be listed on an interactive map to let neighbors contact you
Anyone offering help to at-risk neighbors needs to make sure they’re following the advice of health authorities like the WHO or CDC, however. Make sure you’re washing your hands regularly and maintaining a personal separation of six feet to minimize the risk to your community. If you’ve had any flu-like symptoms, then the most helpful thing you can do for your at-risk neighbors is to self-isolate, rather than risk passing on your infection.
Meanwhile, the social network’s new Groups feature is also coming out of beta. Groups have been a part of Nextdoor for a while, but the new version allows you to create groups with people that are farther afield, rather than limiting you to your immediate neighbors. Nextdoor says it has seen more groups being created recently as people deal with the realities of social-distancing. The company gives the example of people creating groups to manage child care during coronavirus-related school closures, or using hobbies like baking to while away the hours spent at home. The service plans to encourage the creation of groups by prompting users to create them out of active conversation threads.


theverge--2020-03-18--How the new iPad Pro compares to the new MacBook Air

Apple just announced a new iPad Pro and a new MacBook Air , but the iPad Pro ’ s optional new keyboard case with a trackpad makes picking between the two a lot harder .
If you get the iPad Pro with the new case , called the Magic Keyboard , you ’ re choosing between two similarly sized portable computing devices with a keyboard and trackpad .
( Though Apple insists the new iPad Pro is not a computer . )
The main thing to keep in mind is that one of those computing devices is still a tablet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and each is ( right now ) better-suited for some tasks than others .
iPadOS , which came out last year , did bring a lot more computer-y features to Apple ’ s tablets , like a more powerful Files app , letting a single app have multiple windows , and showing websites in desktop mode in Safari .
But if you want to make the new iPad Pro your main computer , you ’ ll need to make sure it can do the things you might rely on with your laptop or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means arranging my Chrome , Twitter , and Slack windows in such a way that I can easily bounce between them .
Others might need a specific photo or video editing app for their work , and that app might be easier to use with a mouse .
The new Magic Keyboard ’ s trackpad could help you do a lot more of those more computer tasks , but at launch , it ’ s not likely to unlock all new use cases .
It may make things like editing and selecting text @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line , nobody outside of Apple has actually used the case yet , and it ’ s not coming out until May , while the new iPad Pro comes out on March 25th .
And the upcoming iPadOS 13.4 software adds full mouse and trackpad support , but that ’ s not out until March 24th , so we don ’ t yet know how well it will work in practice .
And the decision is even harder because the new MacBook Air looks like the upgrade we ’ ve wanted for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keyboard , 10th Gen Intel Ice Lake processors that should be just fine for most people , improved graphics , 256GB base storage ( double the 128GB base that Apple has offered for a long time ) , and it starts at $ 999 , which is $ 100 less than its predecessor .
If you ’ re agonizing over which to pick , one thing that might help is taking a look at the specs in the table below .
But also keep in mind that if you opt for the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the new Magic Keyboard when it ’ s out , know that you ’ re banking on an untested case and a hope that iPadOS 13.4 makes the iPad do everything you need it to do — and right now , we just don ’ t know if that ’ s true .
The iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard sounds like a super interesting device , but there are still a lot of unknowns .
With the MacBook Air , however , there ’ s not a lot you don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that regard , at least , making a decision between these two products hasn ’ t really changed at all .
This table is best viewed in landscape mode on mobile devices .

Apple just announced a new iPad Pro and a new MacBook Air, but the iPad Pro’s optional new keyboard case with a trackpad makes picking between the two a lot harder. If you get the iPad Pro with the new case, called the Magic Keyboard, you’re choosing between two similarly sized portable computing devices with a keyboard and trackpad. (Though Apple insists the new iPad Pro is not a computer.)
The main thing to keep in mind is that one of those computing devices is still a tablet and one is still a laptop, and each is (right now) better-suited for some tasks than others. iPadOS, which came out last year, did bring a lot more computer-y features to Apple’s tablets, like a more powerful Files app, letting a single app have multiple windows, and showing websites in desktop mode in Safari.
But if you want to make the new iPad Pro your main computer, you’ll need to make sure it can do the things you might rely on with your laptop or desktop. For me, that usually means arranging my Chrome, Twitter, and Slack windows in such a way that I can easily bounce between them. Others might need a specific photo or video editing app for their work, and that app might be easier to use with a mouse.
The new Magic Keyboard’s trackpad could help you do a lot more of those more computer tasks, but at launch, it’s not likely to unlock all new use cases. It may make things like editing and selecting text easier right away, though.
Bottom line, nobody outside of Apple has actually used the case yet, and it’s not coming out until May, while the new iPad Pro comes out on March 25th. And the upcoming iPadOS 13.4 software adds full mouse and trackpad support, but that’s not out until March 24th, so we don’t yet know how well it will work in practice.
And the decision is even harder because the new MacBook Air looks like the upgrade we’ve wanted for years. It has a reliable scissor switch keyboard, 10th Gen Intel Ice Lake processors that should be just fine for most people, improved graphics, 256GB base storage (double the 128GB base that Apple has offered for a long time), and it starts at $999, which is $100 less than its predecessor.
If you’re agonizing over which to pick, one thing that might help is taking a look at the specs in the table below. But also keep in mind that if you opt for the new iPad Pro right now and plan to get the new Magic Keyboard when it’s out, know that you’re banking on an untested case and a hope that iPadOS 13.4 makes the iPad do everything you need it to do — and right now, we just don’t know if that’s true.
The iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard sounds like a super interesting device, but there are still a lot of unknowns. With the MacBook Air, however, there’s not a lot you don’t already know about it. In that regard, at least, making a decision between these two products hasn’t really changed at all.
This table is best viewed in landscape mode on mobile devices.
iPad Pro (2020) vs. MacBook Air (2020) Category iPad Pro 11-inch iPad Pro 12.9-inch MacBook Air with 1.1GHz Dual-Core i3 and 256GB MacBook Air with 1.1GHz Quad-Core i5 and 512GB Starting price $799 $999 $999 $1,299 OS iPadOS 13.4 iPadOS 13.4 macOS Catalina 10.15.3 macOS Catalina 10.15.3 Display 11-inch (2388 x 1668) Retina display 12.9-inch (2732 x 2048) Retina display 13.3-inch (2560 x 1600) Retina display 13.3-inch (2560 x 1600) Retina display Pixels per inch 264 ppi 264 ppi 227 ppi 227 ppi Refresh rate Up to 120Hz Up to 120Hz Up to 60Hz Up to 60Hz Dimensions 9.74 x 7.02 inches 11.04 x 8.46 inches 11.97 x 8.36 inches 11.97 x 8.36 inches Thickness .23 inches .23 inches .16 to .63 inches .16 to .63 inches Weight Wi-Fi: 471g; Wi-Fi + Cellular, 473g Wi-Fi: 641g; Wi-Fi + Cellular, 643g 1,290g 1,290g Battery capacity 28.65 watt hours 36.71 watt hours 49.9 watt hours 49.9 watt hours Processor A12Z Bionic A12Z Bionic 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3, configurable to 1.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 or 1.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 1.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, configurable to 1.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 RAM TBA TBA 8GB or 16GB 3733MHz LPDDR4X 8GB or 16GB 3733MHz LPDDR4X Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB PCIe-based SSD 512GB, 1TB, 2TB PCIe-based SSD Ports USB-C (and another USB-C port with $299 Magic Keyboard) USB-C (and another USB-C port with $349 Magic Keyboard) Two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports Two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports Rear cameras 12MP (F/1.8) wide angle, 10MP (F/2.4) ultrawide 12MP (F/1.8) wide angle, 10MP (F/2.4) ultrawide N/A N/A Front cameras 7MP (F/2.2), 1080p 7MP (F/2.2), 1080p 720p 720p LIDAR Yes Yes No No Biometrics Face ID Face ID Touch ID Touch ID Brightness 600 nits 600 nits TBA TBA LTE Yes, with the $150 more expensive Wi-Fi + Cellular model Yes, with the $150 more expensive Wi-Fi + Cellular model No No Power Adapter 18W USB-C 18W USB-C 30W USB-C 30W USB-C Colors Space gray, silver Space gray, silver Space gray, silver, gold Space gray, silver, gold Wi-Fi 6 Yes Yes No No 3.5mm headphone jack No No Yes Yes Keyboard Add-on only Add-on only Yes Yes Trackpad Yes, with $299 Magic Keyboard Yes, with $349 Magic Keyboard Yes Yes Stylus support Yes, with $129 Apple Pencil or supported styluses Yes, with $129 Apple Pencil or supported styluses No No


theverge--2020-03-18--The creators of Animal Crossing hope New Horizons can be ‘an escape’ in difficult times

Video games have become a powerful coping tool as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to spread .
Developers are making their games free or cheap , Pokémon Go was made easier to play indoors , and Twitch is skyrocketing in popularity .
Animal Crossing : New Horizons seems almost ideally suited for this scenario .
It ’ s a game where players can live a relaxed life in the outdoors , and safely meet up with friends online .
It ’ s cute and charming , and the desperate circumstances have made the anticipation around an already popular game even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reveals fans begging Nintendo to release New Horizons early or counting down the days until it comes out .
It ’ s not a situation Nintendo could ’ ve planned for , but the game ’ s creators are hoping the new game can help players in some way .
“ I am very disheartened and saddened.
” “ We ’ ve been planning this release for quite some time , so it ’ s unfortunate that this timing overlapped with what ’ s currently happening in the world , ” New Horizons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I am very disheartened and saddened by the events happening across the world .
Considering the timing , we hope that a lot of the Animal Crossing fans will use this as an escape , so they can enjoy themselves during this difficult time.
” One element that should help with this is New Horizons ’ simultaneous global release .
2012 ’ s New Leaf , for instance , launched in Japan several months before the rest of the world , so there was some disconnect between regions .
But with virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic in some form , New Horizons director Aya Kyogoku says that a simultaneous release is particularly important now .
“ It ’ s the kind of game you want to enjoy with other people , and talk about it , and share the experience with your friends and family , ” she says .
“ So I think that a global , simultaneous release is a really good approach for the franchise.
” Animal Crossing : New Horizons launches on March 20th on the Nintendo Switch .
Stay tuned for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later this week .

It’s a game where players can live a relaxed life in the outdoors, and safely meet up with friends online. It’s cute and charming, and the desperate circumstances have made the anticipation around an already popular game even greater. A cursory glance at Twitter reveals fans begging Nintendo to release New Horizons early or counting down the days until it comes out. It’s not a situation Nintendo could’ve planned for, but the game’s creators are hoping the new game can help players in some way.
“I am very disheartened and saddened.”
“We’ve been planning this release for quite some time, so it’s unfortunate that this timing overlapped with what’s currently happening in the world,” New Horizons producer Hisashi Nogami tells The Verge. “I am very disheartened and saddened by the events happening across the world. Considering the timing, we hope that a lot of the Animal Crossing fans will use this as an escape, so they can enjoy themselves during this difficult time.”
One element that should help with this is New Horizons’ simultaneous global release. 2012’s New Leaf, for instance, launched in Japan several months before the rest of the world, so there was some disconnect between regions. But with virtually everyone on the planet currently impacted by the pandemic in some form, New Horizons director Aya Kyogoku says that a simultaneous release is particularly important now.
“It’s the kind of game you want to enjoy with other people, and talk about it, and share the experience with your friends and family,” she says. “So I think that a global, simultaneous release is a really good approach for the franchise.”


theverge--2020-03-18--Here’s how the iPad’s new trackpad actually works

Apple made it official : trackpad and mouse support is coming to the iPad .
You can get it on an iPad Pro by spending $ 299 or $ 349 on Apple ’ s new Magic Keyboard , get it on a regular iPad with Logitech ’ s $ 150 keyboard case , use your existing Bluetooth mouse or trackpad , or presumably use any number of forthcoming accessories .
So the mouse support is there , but how will it work ?
The iPad and iPadOS are touch-based operating systems meant to be used with your big fat fingers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the Apple Pencil was introduced , they have stayed that way .
Plus , more recently , iPadOS has increased the level of complexity for multitasking to 11 with support for multiple windows , split screens , slide-over windows , custom gestures for text editing , and more .
Adding another input method to that mix could result in chaos .
We can answer some of your questions about how trackpad support will work today and we ’ ll get a chance to actually use it ourselves in the public beta .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we definitely know about how it will work based on videos Apple has released publicly and on a video presentation given to reporters this morning .
• The pointer will only appear when you need it .
The mouse pointer won ’ t be persistent on the screen at all times , instead only appearing when you ’ re touching the trackpad .
• The pointer is a little circular dot .
Apple says that shape makes the most sense for the iPad , which again is fundamentally designed around touching with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can change shape based on what it ’ s pointing at .
You know how your desktop mouse pointer turns into a hand , text cursor , or a little resize arrow depending on what it ’ s pointing at ?
The iPad ’ s pointer does a similar thing .
But since so many of the UI elements on the iPad are big , touchable buttons , the way the iPad cursor changes is a little different .
It changes shape to be the size of the touch-target area for the button @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , apparently you will be able to turn them off . )
Here , it makes sense when you look at it in this slowed-down gif of Apple ’ s hype video : • You can do mouse stuff you ’ d expect , like selecting cells in a spreadsheet or pinching and zooming .
• It ’ s probably going to be way better for manipulating text .
Selecting , copying , pasting , and dragging blocks of text around is going to be way easier than the finger gymnastics the iPad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ navigation gestures .
Although it won ’ t work exactly like the Mac , there will be some gestures you can use .
They include : • Move your cursor to the bottom of the screen to bring up the dock .
• Click on the status icons in the upper right corner to bring up Control Center .
• Move your cursor to the right side of the screen to bring out Slide Over apps .
• Go home by swiping up with three fingers .
• Open multitasking by swiping up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swipe between open apps by swiping left and right with three fingers .
• Swipe between Slide Over apps by swiping using three fingers when the cursor is inside a Slide Over app .
Plus , now that the developer beta is out , we ’ re seeing support works for other things you might need , like hovering on elements in webpages : That ’ s a lot of gestures to remember , but no more than exist on the Mac .
It seems overwhelming , but if you made a similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it would be just as intimidating .
The iPad ’ s gestures are just different .
Here , let Apple ’ s software boss Craig Federighi walk you through it all in this video .
How will all of this actually feel in practice ?
We ’ ll know soon enough .
The iPad ’ s UI is powerful , but in many ways it ’ s difficult to learn , in part because so many of us still have desktop UI paradigms in our heads .
One interesting thing you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunch of traditional windows like you ’ re used to having on a desktop or even a Windows tablet .
Apple is sticking to its guns on its attempt to rethink how we move and rearrange windows on the iPad screen , with stuff like split screen and Slide Over .
For better or worse ( and I think for the better ) , the new trackpad features don ’ t turn the iPad into a Mac .
Whether any of that radically changes this year with iPadOS 14 is anybody ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If you like what you ’ ve seen us do with iPadOS , stay tuned , we ’ re going to keep working on it .
”

Apple made it official: trackpad and mouse support is coming to the iPad. You can get it on an iPad Pro by spending $299 or $349 on Apple’s new Magic Keyboard, get it on a regular iPad with Logitech’s $150 keyboard case, use your existing Bluetooth mouse or trackpad, or presumably use any number of forthcoming accessories.
So the mouse support is there, but how will it work? The iPad and iPadOS are touch-based operating systems meant to be used with your big fat fingers, not tiny little pointers. Even when the Apple Pencil was introduced, they have stayed that way. Plus, more recently, iPadOS has increased the level of complexity for multitasking to 11 with support for multiple windows, split screens, slide-over windows, custom gestures for text editing, and more. Adding another input method to that mix could result in chaos.
We can answer some of your questions about how trackpad support will work today and we’ll get a chance to actually use it ourselves in the public beta. In the meantime, here’s what we definitely know about how it will work based on videos Apple has released publicly and on a video presentation given to reporters this morning.
The pointer will only appear when you need it . The mouse pointer won’t be persistent on the screen at all times, instead only appearing when you’re touching the trackpad.
. The mouse pointer won’t be persistent on the screen at all times, instead only appearing when you’re touching the trackpad. The pointer is a little circular dot . Apple says that shape makes the most sense for the iPad, which again is fundamentally designed around touching with your fingers.
. Apple says that shape makes the most sense for the iPad, which again is fundamentally designed around touching with your fingers. ...but it can change shape based on what it’s pointing at. You know how your desktop mouse pointer turns into a hand, text cursor, or a little resize arrow depending on what it’s pointing at? The iPad’s pointer does a similar thing. But since so many of the UI elements on the iPad are big, touchable buttons, the way the iPad cursor changes is a little different. It changes shape to be the size of the touch-target area for the button. (If the animations bug you, apparently you will be able to turn them off.)
Here, it makes sense when you look at it in this slowed-down gif of Apple’s hype video:
You can do mouse stuff you’d expect, like selecting cells in a spreadsheet or pinching and zooming.
It’s probably going to be way better for manipulating text. Selecting, copying, pasting, and dragging blocks of text around is going to be way easier than the finger gymnastics the iPad currently requires.
Selecting, copying, pasting, and dragging blocks of text around is going to be way easier than the finger gymnastics the iPad currently requires. It supports some navigation gestures. Although it won’t work exactly like the Mac, there will be some gestures you can use. They include:
Move your cursor to the bottom of the screen to bring up the dock. Click on the status icons in the upper right corner to bring up Control Center. Move your cursor to the right side of the screen to bring out Slide Over apps. Go home by swiping up with three fingers. Open multitasking by swiping up and holding with three fingers. Swipe between open apps by swiping left and right with three fingers. Swipe between Slide Over apps by swiping using three fingers when the cursor is inside a Slide Over app.
Plus, now that the developer beta is out, we’re seeing support works for other things you might need, like hovering on elements in webpages:
That’s a lot of gestures to remember, but no more than exist on the Mac. It seems overwhelming, but if you made a similar list for your MacBook or Windows machine, it would be just as intimidating. The iPad’s gestures are just different. Here, let Apple’s software boss Craig Federighi walk you through it all in this video.
How will all of this actually feel in practice? We’ll know soon enough. The iPad’s UI is powerful, but in many ways it’s difficult to learn, in part because so many of us still have desktop UI paradigms in our heads.
One interesting thing you can’t do is just have a bunch of traditional windows like you’re used to having on a desktop or even a Windows tablet. Apple is sticking to its guns on its attempt to rethink how we move and rearrange windows on the iPad screen, with stuff like split screen and Slide Over. For better or worse (and I think for the better), the new trackpad features don’t turn the iPad into a Mac.


theverge--2020-03-18--Facebook will put vetted coronavirus information at the top of the News Feed

Facebook will put a coronavirus information center at the top of the News Feed in the United States and other countries around the world , CEO Mark Zuckerberg said today .
In a call with reporters , Zuckerberg said that a collection of information from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control would begin appearing on top of the feed over the next day .
The introduction of the information center comes after Facebook had been promoting links to the WHO and CDC inside the News Feed itself , as well as on Instagram .
Facebook has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when people run queries on “ coronavirus ” or “ COVID-19.
” The goal of the center is to direct Facebook ’ s large user base to vetted information and to offer a strong counterweight to the misinformation that spreads elsewhere on its service and around the internet .
Separately , Facebook announced that it would make its Workplace product free for the government and for emergency services .
Zuckerberg said the service , which closely resembles the consumer version of Facebook , is “ right in the sweet spot for the type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a service like this .
[ It ’ s a ] familiar interface , but with groups where people can disseminate information thorugh their organization in ways we think can be pretty useful.
” Zuckerberg also noted that he is working from home during the virus outbreak along with the vast majority of other Facebook employees .
“ I am definitely working from home , ” Zuckerberg said .
“ I don ’ t think it would be very good to encourage everyone else to do that and then not do that @ @ @

Facebook will put a coronavirus information center at the top of the News Feed in the United States and other countries around the world, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said today. In a call with reporters, Zuckerberg said that a collection of information from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control would begin appearing on top of the feed over the next day.
The introduction of the information center comes after Facebook had been promoting links to the WHO and CDC inside the News Feed itself, as well as on Instagram. Facebook has also linked to the organizations in search results when people run queries on “coronavirus” or “COVID-19.”
The goal of the center is to direct Facebook’s large user base to vetted information and to offer a strong counterweight to the misinformation that spreads elsewhere on its service and around the internet.
Separately, Facebook announced that it would make its Workplace product free for the government and for emergency services. Zuckerberg said the service, which closely resembles the consumer version of Facebook, is “right in the sweet spot for the type of folks we think can get value from a service like this. [It’s a] familiar interface, but with groups where people can disseminate information thorugh their organization in ways we think can be pretty useful.”