theverge--2020-03-26--Slack breaks user records as demand surges for remote working

Microsoft Teams isn ’ t the only business-focused chat and communications app that ’ s seeing a spike in demand .
Slack is revealing today that it has hit new user records for simultaneously connected users , thanks to a surge in demand for remote working amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
On Tuesday March 10th , Slack saw concurrent users pass 10 million , which then jumped to 10.5 million six days later on March 16th before reaching 12.5 million yesterday .
Slack isn ’ t revealing a total count of daily active users during this period , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has 12 million daily active users back in October , but the company has not publicly updated this number since .
Microsoft Teams usage has soared over the past year , reaching 44 million daily active users during a big increase in demand earlier this month .
Slack has instead been trying to steer the conversation to how many actions are taken in Slack compared to its competitors , and how much people love to use its app .
Slack is also overhauling its design for the biggest revamp in its history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a focus on simplification and customization , is rolling out to existing customers over the coming weeks .
But in a refreshingly honest note , Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield admits there ’ s still more to do .
“ If you ’ re just getting started on Slack , I ’ m sorry : there are still some rough spots , ” admits Butterfield .
“ It ’ s not as easy to get used to as we ’ d like .
But we ’ re working hard to simplify and guide people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth the effort .
When it works , you ’ ll never go back to email.
” Slack also revealed last month that IBM has picked it over Microsoft Teams to power the company ’ s chat communications for its 330,000 employees .
IBM has long been Slack ’ s biggest customer , but IBM ’ s decision to roll out Slack to all of its employees comes just weeks after Microsoft started a big TV ad push to convince businesses to pick Teams instead of Slack .
Microsoft also has its eyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn to its video conferencing solution .
Even consumers are flocking to the app instead of Skype .
Microsoft is planning to hold an Office press event on Monday , where the company is expected to unveil a more consumer-focused version of Microsoft Teams .

Microsoft Teams isn’t the only business-focused chat and communications app that’s seeing a spike in demand. Slack is revealing today that it has hit new user records for simultaneously connected users, thanks to a surge in demand for remote working amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday March 10th, Slack saw concurrent users pass 10 million, which then jumped to 10.5 million six days later on March 16th before reaching 12.5 million yesterday. Slack isn’t revealing a total count of daily active users during this period, only simultaneously connected users.
Slack previously revealed it has 12 million daily active users back in October, but the company has not publicly updated this number since. Microsoft Teams usage has soared over the past year, reaching 44 million daily active users during a big increase in demand earlier this month. Slack has instead been trying to steer the conversation to how many actions are taken in Slack compared to its competitors, and how much people love to use its app.
The new Slack design.
Slack is also overhauling its design for the biggest revamp in its history. The new design, which includes a focus on simplification and customization, is rolling out to existing customers over the coming weeks. But in a refreshingly honest note, Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield admits there’s still more to do. “If you’re just getting started on Slack, I’m sorry: there are still some rough spots,” admits Butterfield. “It’s not as easy to get used to as we’d like. But we’re working hard to simplify and guide people towards effective usage. It’s worth the effort. When it works, you’ll never go back to email.”
Slack also revealed last month that IBM has picked it over Microsoft Teams to power the company’s chat communications for its 330,000 employees. IBM has long been Slack’s biggest customer, but IBM’s decision to roll out Slack to all of its employees comes just weeks after Microsoft started a big TV ad push to convince businesses to pick Teams instead of Slack.


theverge--2020-03-26--Xbox Series X graphics source code stolen and leaked online

AMD says that a hacker has obtained source files for some of its current and future GPUs , including details about the Xbox Series X .
“ In December 2019 , we were contacted by someone who claimed to have test files related to a subset of our current and future graphics products , some of which were recently posted online , but have since been taken down , ” says an AMD spokesperson .
AMD has filed multiple takedown notices to Microsoft-owned GitHub , where repositories were hosting the stolen Navi GPU source code .
TorrentFreak reports that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navi 10 , Navi 21 and Arden GPUs , and the GitHub takedown notices say it included intellectual property “ stolen from AMD.
” AMD ’ s Arden GPU is believed to be the codename for what ’ s used in Microsoft ’ s next-gen Xbox Series X console .
Some details previously leaked in December about Arden , related to test files that were also posted on GitHub .
The alleged hacker is threatening to leak more The alleged hacker has claimed they will “ just leak everything , ” in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not able to sell the information .
It ’ s not clear whether the source code is partial or whether it will impact the security of AMD ’ s future GPUs , but the company doesn ’ t appear to be overly concerned .
“ While we are aware the perpetrator has additional files that have not been made public , we believe the stolen graphics IP is not core to the competitiveness or security of our graphics products , ” says AMD .
“ We are not aware of the perpetrator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve reached out to Microsoft to comment on the situation , and we ’ ll update you accordingly .

AMD says that a hacker has obtained source files for some of its current and future GPUs, including details about the Xbox Series X. “In December 2019, we were contacted by someone who claimed to have test files related to a subset of our current and future graphics products, some of which were recently posted online, but have since been taken down,” says an AMD spokesperson.
AMD has filed multiple takedown notices to Microsoft-owned GitHub, where repositories were hosting the stolen Navi GPU source code. TorrentFreak reports that the code included details for AMD’s Navi 10, Navi 21 and Arden GPUs, and the GitHub takedown notices say it included intellectual property “stolen from AMD.” AMD’s Arden GPU is believed to be the codename for what’s used in Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox Series X console. Some details previously leaked in December about Arden, related to test files that were also posted on GitHub.
The alleged hacker is threatening to leak more
The alleged hacker has claimed they will “just leak everything,” in an interview with TorrentFreak, if they’re not able to sell the information. It’s not clear whether the source code is partial or whether it will impact the security of AMD’s future GPUs, but the company doesn’t appear to be overly concerned.
“While we are aware the perpetrator has additional files that have not been made public, we believe the stolen graphics IP is not core to the competitiveness or security of our graphics products,” says AMD. “We are not aware of the perpetrator possessing any other AMD IP.”


theverge--2020-03-26--Animal Crossing powers Nintendo to record Switch sales in Japan

Animal Crossing : New Horizons is on track to become one of the best-selling video games of all time in Japan , according to sales figures released by Famitsu .
The game managed to sell 1.88 million physical copies in its opening three days in Nintendo ’ s home market , a number far bigger than any other Switch game or Animal Crossing title to date .
Famitsu doesn ’ t track digital sales , so the actual total will be significantly higher .
The game ’ s launch also propelled Switch hardware sales to new heights , despite Nintendo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic would affect hardware production and shipments .
More than 392,000 consoles were sold in Japan last week , the highest seven-day total ever for the Switch , and one that means it ’ s now sold more than the Wii in Japan .
( The Switch is still far behind the Wii in global sales , however — the latest official total was 52.48 million units sold worldwide as of the end of 2019 , while the Wii reached 101.63 million in its lifetime . )
Hardware sales were undoubtedly helped by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Animal Crossing-branded Switch , and the coral pink Switch Lite .
The cheaper , portable-only Switch Lite made up roughly 70 percent of all Switch sales last week , according to Famitsu ’ s data .
New Horizons is a relaxing adventure that sees you move to a desert island and hang out with your animal friends ( or IRL buddies ) , making it perhaps uniquely suited for the challenging COVID-19 situation right now .
“ We ’ ve been planning this release for quite some time , so it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s currently happening in the world , ” producer Hisashi Nogami told 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 .
”

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is on track to become one of the best-selling video games of all time in Japan, according to sales figures released by Famitsu. The game managed to sell 1.88 million physical copies in its opening three days in Nintendo’s home market, a number far bigger than any other Switch game or Animal Crossing title to date. Famitsu doesn’t track digital sales, so the actual total will be significantly higher.
The game’s launch also propelled Switch hardware sales to new heights, despite Nintendo’s prior warning that the coronavirus pandemic would affect hardware production and shipments. More than 392,000 consoles were sold in Japan last week, the highest seven-day total ever for the Switch, and one that means it’s now sold more than the Wii in Japan. (The Switch is still far behind the Wii in global sales, however — the latest official total was 52.48 million units sold worldwide as of the end of 2019, while the Wii reached 101.63 million in its lifetime.)
Hardware sales were undoubtedly helped by the launch of two new variants: the Animal Crossing-branded Switch, and the coral pink Switch Lite. The cheaper, portable-only Switch Lite made up roughly 70 percent of all Switch sales last week, according to Famitsu’s data.


theverge--2020-04-16--DJI’s Mavic Air 2 might be coming soon, and these leaks reveal quite a lot about it

Drone company DJI released the compact $ 799 Mavic Air in January 2018 , and The Verge ’ s Vjeran Pavic thought it was a great drone , though not the best option for serious photo and video work .
More than two years on from the Mavic Air ’ s release , it seems as if DJI is close to releasing a proper sequel in the form of the Mavic Air 2 .
The first clue that something could be releasing soon is that DJI has scheduled an event for Monday , April 27th at 9:30PM ET .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week : It seems likely the event is for the DJI Mavic Air 2 , as presumed photos for the drone , as well as what appears to be the drone ’ s quick start manual , have surfaced via Anatel , Brazil ’ s telecommunications standards supervisor , which is similar to the US ’ Federal Communications Commission ( via DroneDJ ) .
You can see what the Mavic Air 2 is expected to look like in this gallery of photos that are reportedly from the Anatel filings , which were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( spot the Mavic Air 2 name on the arm of the drone ! )
: Here ’ s a photo of the original Mavic Air , by comparison — it seems the Mavic Air 2 could look much different .
And in this close-up shot of what appears to be the Mavic 2 ’ s power source , you can see that the drone might have a 3500 mAh battery , which would be a nice increase from the 2375 mAh battery in the original Air .
Photos of the Mavic Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ANATEL , according to DroneDJ , and we ’ ve compiled images the publication shared from that manual in the gallery below .
A translated version of the manual apparently states that the drone can capture 4K video and 48 megapixel photos and achieve “ a maximum flying speed of 68.4 km/h and a maximum flying time of 34 minutes , ” according to DroneDJ .
That maximum flight time would be a good increase from the original Mavic Air , which offered up to 21 minutes of flight time , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos that appear to be of the Mavic Air 2 , posted on Twitter on March 10th — these give a better idea of how the device might fold up , as well as show a look at what the drone ’ s controller could look like : The Mavic Air 2 name has also appeared in an FCC filing , though that filing currently doesn ’ t have much we can glean about the device .

Drone company DJI released the compact $799 Mavic Air in January 2018, and The Verge’s Vjeran Pavic thought it was a great drone, though not the best option for serious photo and video work. More than two years on from the Mavic Air’s release, it seems as if DJI is close to releasing a proper sequel in the form of the Mavic Air 2.
The first clue that something could be releasing soon is that DJI has scheduled an event for Monday, April 27th at 9:30PM ET. The company teased the event on Twitter earlier this week:
It seems likely the event is for the DJI Mavic Air 2, as presumed photos for the drone, as well as what appears to be the drone’s quick start manual, have surfaced via Anatel, Brazil’s telecommunications standards supervisor, which is similar to the US’ Federal Communications Commission (via DroneDJ).
You can see what the Mavic Air 2 is expected to look like in this gallery of photos that are reportedly from the Anatel filings, which were originally posted by Brazilian drone site DroneFriendly (spot the Mavic Air 2 name on the arm of the drone!):
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Here’s a photo of the original Mavic Air, by comparison — it seems the Mavic Air 2 could look much different.
Photo by Tyler Pina / The Verge
And in this close-up shot of what appears to be the Mavic 2’s power source, you can see that the drone might have a 3500 mAh battery, which would be a nice increase from the 2375 mAh battery in the original Air.
Image: DroneFriendly
Photos of the Mavic Air 2’s manual also appeared on ANATEL, according to DroneDJ, and we’ve compiled images the publication shared from that manual in the gallery below.
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1 / 6 Previous Next
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A translated version of the manual apparently states that the drone can capture 4K video and 48 megapixel photos and achieve “a maximum flying speed of 68.4 km/h and a maximum flying time of 34 minutes,” according to DroneDJ. That maximum flight time would be a good increase from the original Mavic Air, which offered up to 21 minutes of flight time, according to DJI.
And here are some more photos that appear to be of the Mavic Air 2, posted on Twitter on March 10th — these give a better idea of how the device might fold up, as well as show a look at what the drone’s controller could look like:


theverge--2020-04-16--Roblox to stream the One World: Together At Home benefit concert inside a virtual theater

One World : Together At Home , the unprecedented all-remote benefit concert airing this Saturday to show support for healthcare workers worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic , will air inside the virtual multiplayer game Roblox .
That ’ s in addition to the standard television broadcast channels carrying the event and the slew of streaming services and tech platforms also airing it on Saturday .
The event , which will feature appearances by celebrities and music performances , is designed to evoke the historic Live Aid benefit concert of 1985 , and it ’ ll be co-hosted by Jimmy Fallon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s organized by international advocacy group Global Citizen in support of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and its COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund .
The fund is helping finance relief efforts around the world by supplying healthcare workers with medical equipment and personal protective gear and supporting other measures to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus .
But to be clear , One World is not a fundraiser ; rather , it is merely to raise awareness and celebrate healthcare workers through entertainment .
Apple , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 10 million to the cause , however .
And Lady Gaga , one of the key performers and coordinators for the event , is also directly involved in fundraising efforts for the WHO .
So the concert will indirectly continue to help fund the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund .
As for Roblox , the Roblox Corporation says the event will be streamed through a virtual theater within the game starting Saturday , April 18th at 2PM ET .
The company says it will air the entire eight-hour event over the course of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will repeat the two-hour TV portion that will air at 8PM ET this Saturday on ABC , Bell Media , NBC , ViacomCBS Networks , and iHeartMedia in North America .
For those not interested in watching the traditional broadcast or doing so through Roblox , a number of companies like Facebook , Twitch , and YouTube are joining Apple in streaming it online .
Amazon also says Prime subscribers can watch through Prime Video , too .

One World: Together At Home, the unprecedented all-remote benefit concert airing this Saturday to show support for healthcare workers worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, will air inside the virtual multiplayer game Roblox. That’s in addition to the standard television broadcast channels carrying the event and the slew of streaming services and tech platforms also airing it on Saturday.
The event, which will feature appearances by celebrities and music performances, is designed to evoke the historic Live Aid benefit concert of 1985, and it’ll be co-hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert. It’s organized by international advocacy group Global Citizen in support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The fund is helping finance relief efforts around the world by supplying healthcare workers with medical equipment and personal protective gear and supporting other measures to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.
But to be clear, One World is not a fundraiser; rather, it is merely to raise awareness and celebrate healthcare workers through entertainment. Apple, which is also streaming the event, is donating $10 million to the cause, however. And Lady Gaga, one of the key performers and coordinators for the event, is also directly involved in fundraising efforts for the WHO. So the concert will indirectly continue to help fund the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
As for Roblox, the Roblox Corporation says the event will be streamed through a virtual theater within the game starting Saturday, April 18th at 2PM ET. The company says it will air the entire eight-hour event over the course of the day, and on Sunday it will repeat the two-hour TV portion that will air at 8PM ET this Saturday on ABC, Bell Media, NBC, ViacomCBS Networks, and iHeartMedia in North America.


theverge--2020-04-16--J.J. Abrams is producing a Justice League Dark series for HBO Max

J.J. Abrams is taking on the popular comic book series Justice League Dark as a new producing project under his Bad Robot production label , adapting it into a series for WarnerMedia ’ s upcoming streaming service , HBO Max .
WarnerMedia hasn ’ t announced any details about the project other than it will live exclusively on the streaming service .
Justice League Dark is an ongoing comic book series that focuses on the more supernatural characters that appear within the DC Universe , including John Constantine ( who was portrayed by Keanu Reeves in the 2005 live-action movie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is working on the project , or if those discussions have started .
Abrams will produce the show as a Bad Robot production , but he hasn ’ t announced whether he ’ ll contribute any writing to the series .
The Shape of Water director Guillermo del Toro told ComicBook in 2019 that he co-wrote an entire script for a Justice League Dark movie for Warner Bros. years ago , but nothing ever came of it .
While Kevin Feige is overseeing the Marvel Streaming Universe for Disney Plus , Abrams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roles in shaping WarnerMedia ’ s DC Universe on HBO Max .
After years of creating the DC Arrowverse ( Arrow , Flash , Supergirl , Legends of Tomorrow , Black Lightning , Batwoman , etc ) on The CW , Berlanti is now working on a number of projects for HBO Max .
Those include an untitled Green Lantern series and an adaptation of DC Comics ’ Strange Adventures .
Warner Bros. also has its DC Cinematic Universe : Wonder Woman , Justice League , Shazam , Aquaman , The Batman and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if Abrams ’ Bad Pictures company or Berlanti will contribute to the cinematic universe .
Abrams is also working on two more series for HBO Max : one is a horror series inspired by Stephen King ’ s The Shining .
Called Overlook , the show will focus on the “ untold , terrifying stories of the most famous haunted hotel in American fiction.
” The third , called Duster , is a completely original project that Abrams will co-write .
Duster follows a getaway driver for a “ growing crime syndicate ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will launch next month , although WarnerMedia hasn ’ t announced a specific date at this time .
It will cost $ 14.99 a month .

J.J. Abrams is taking on the popular comic book series Justice League Dark as a new producing project under his Bad Robot production label, adapting it into a series for WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming service, HBO Max.
WarnerMedia hasn’t announced any details about the project other than it will live exclusively on the streaming service. Justice League Dark is an ongoing comic book series that focuses on the more supernatural characters that appear within the DC Universe, including John Constantine (who was portrayed by Keanu Reeves in the 2005 live-action movie).
It’s also unclear who is working on the project, or if those discussions have started. Abrams will produce the show as a Bad Robot production, but he hasn’t announced whether he’ll contribute any writing to the series. The Shape of Water director Guillermo del Toro told ComicBook in 2019 that he co-wrote an entire script for a Justice League Dark movie for Warner Bros. years ago, but nothing ever came of it.
While Kevin Feige is overseeing the Marvel Streaming Universe for Disney Plus, Abrams and Greg Berlanti seem to have big roles in shaping WarnerMedia’s DC Universe on HBO Max. After years of creating the DC Arrowverse (Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, etc) on The CW, Berlanti is now working on a number of projects for HBO Max. Those include an untitled Green Lantern series and an adaptation of DC Comics’ Strange Adventures.
Warner Bros. also has its DC Cinematic Universe: Wonder Woman, Justice League, Shazam, Aquaman, The Batman and the rest. It’s unclear if Abrams’ Bad Pictures company or Berlanti will contribute to the cinematic universe.
Abrams is also working on two more series for HBO Max: one is a horror series inspired by Stephen King’s The Shining. Called Overlook, the show will focus on the “untold, terrifying stories of the most famous haunted hotel in American fiction.” The third, called Duster, is a completely original project that Abrams will co-write. Duster follows a getaway driver for a “growing crime syndicate” in the 1970s southwest.


theverge--2020-04-16--Microsoft releases final Windows 10 May 2020 Update to testers

Microsoft is releasing the final version of its Windows 10 May 2020 Update today .
While the update won ’ t roll out automatically to machines until next month , Windows 10 testers can get it early today by opting into the Release Preview ring of testing to get the final build .
Like the previous November 2019 Update , this new update is a relatively small one that includes some improvements to Cortana and Windows search .
Cortana can now be undocked from the Windows 10 taskbar , and it includes the ability to choose between typing or talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interface has also been tweaked to be more conversational .
Microsoft has also added quick searches to the search home interface with this latest update , including weather , news , today in history , and new movies .
This update includes the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 The May 2020 Update also features the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 , which includes an in-house custom-built Linux kernel .
This Linux integration in Windows 10 will greatly improve the performance of Microsoft ’ s Linux subsystem in Windows .
Microsoft is also promising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it will be open source so developers can create their own WSL kernel and contribute changes .
We ’ ll have a full review of all the changes in the Windows 10 May 2020 Update in the coming weeks before its general release , but Microsoft has a running list of most of the minor changes here .
If you ’ re interested in getting the Windows 10 May 2020 Update today , you can head to settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program and sign up for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Preview ring .
The update will then show in the regular Windows Update section of settings .

Microsoft is releasing the final version of its Windows 10 May 2020 Update today. While the update won’t roll out automatically to machines until next month, Windows 10 testers can get it early today by opting into the Release Preview ring of testing to get the final build. Like the previous November 2019 Update, this new update is a relatively small one that includes some improvements to Cortana and Windows search.
Cortana can now be undocked from the Windows 10 taskbar, and it includes the ability to choose between typing or talking to the digital assistant. The overall interface has also been tweaked to be more conversational. Microsoft has also added quick searches to the search home interface with this latest update, including weather, news, today in history, and new movies.
This update includes the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2
The May 2020 Update also features the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2, which includes an in-house custom-built Linux kernel. This Linux integration in Windows 10 will greatly improve the performance of Microsoft’s Linux subsystem in Windows. Microsoft is also promising to update this kernel through Windows Update, and it will be open source so developers can create their own WSL kernel and contribute changes.


theverge--2020-04-16--Amazon’s Alexa gets a new longform speaking style

Amazon is introducing a new speaking style for Alexa and adding some speaking styles for other AI voices , the company said today .
The longform speaking style is available for US developers who want a reading voice that sounds more natural when reading long pieces of content , like articles or podcasts .
Amazon says the longform style is “ powered by a deep-learning text-to-speech model , ” and allows Alexa-voiced devices to speak with more natural conversational pauses .
It follows last year ’ s release of new speaking styles for news and music content and a November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappointed ” or “ excited.
” ( I ’ ll be honest : the only obvious differences I heard between the two samples Amazon provided were longer pauses between sentences in the second sample ) .
Amazon also is adding its news and conversational speaking styles for the Matthew and Joanna voices from Amazon Polly , its neural network-based text-to-speech AWS service , and is adding its news speaking style to Lupe , its US Spanish voice .
The company also says developers can now use the news and conversational speaking style in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Amazon is introducing a new speaking style for Alexa and adding some speaking styles for other AI voices, the company said today. The longform speaking style is available for US developers who want a reading voice that sounds more natural when reading long pieces of content, like articles or podcasts.
Amazon says the longform style is “powered by a deep-learning text-to-speech model,” and allows Alexa-voiced devices to speak with more natural conversational pauses. It follows last year’s release of new speaking styles for news and music content and a November update that allows Alexa to seem “disappointed” or “excited.”
(I’ll be honest: the only obvious differences I heard between the two samples Amazon provided were longer pauses between sentences in the second sample).
Amazon also is adding its news and conversational speaking styles for the Matthew and Joanna voices from Amazon Polly, its neural network-based text-to-speech AWS service, and is adding its news speaking style to Lupe, its US Spanish voice.
Polly’s speaking style voices, which are available for a few voices, and 10 new Polly voices, are also available for developers to build Alexa skills. The new voices are available in six new languages.


theverge--2020-04-16--Verizon CEO says 5G virus conspiracy theories are nonsense

Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg said that conspiracy theories linking the rollout of 5G to the spread of COVID-19 are false in an interview with CNBC today .
“ There ’ s no correlation at all between 5G and coronavirus , ” Vestberg said .
“ It ’ s just fake news.
” He said Verizon planned to combat the conspiracy theories with “ our communication , and the industry ’ s communication , and with health organizations ’ communication.
” “ There ’ s no correlation at all between 5G and coronavirus.
” Vestberg was referring to communications already issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about wireless devices and health that can be found at www.wirelesshealthfacts.com , a Verizon spokesperson tells The Verge .
That site states that “ radiofrequency energy from wireless devices and networks , including radiofrequencies used by 5G , has not been shown to cause health problems , according to the international scientific community , ” and points to resources and quotes from wireless communications bodies and health organizations supporting that assertion .
The site also links to a WHO website that spells out how COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets and that viruses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobile networks .
Despite no scientific evidence establishing a link between 5G and coronavirus , conspiracy theories connecting the two have spread across social media , leading to 5G towers in the UK being set on fire and people harassing workers laying fiber optic cables .
My colleague Tom Warren has put together an explainer about why these conspiracy theories don ’ t make sense .

Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg said that conspiracy theories linking the rollout of 5G to the spread of COVID-19 are false in an interview with CNBC today.
“There’s no correlation at all between 5G and coronavirus,” Vestberg said. “It’s just fake news.” He said Verizon planned to combat the conspiracy theories with “our communication, and the industry’s communication, and with health organizations’ communication.”
“There’s no correlation at all between 5G and coronavirus.”
Vestberg was referring to communications already issued by health organizations and information combating conspiracies about wireless devices and health that can be found at www.wirelesshealthfacts.com, a Verizon spokesperson tells The Verge. That site states that “radiofrequency energy from wireless devices and networks, including radiofrequencies used by 5G, has not been shown to cause health problems, according to the international scientific community,” and points to resources and quotes from wireless communications bodies and health organizations supporting that assertion.
The site also links to a WHO website that spells out how COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets and that viruses cannot travel via radio waves or mobile networks.


theverge--2020-04-16--You can now activate Google Fi via eSIM on newer iPhones

Google ’ s wireless network , Google Fi , can now be activated on an iPhone via eSIM , as spotted by 9to5Google .
That means you can use a Google Fi number on your iPhone in addition to your phone number that ’ s hooked up to the physical SIM card that sits in the SIM tray in your iPhone .
It also means you can get a Google Fi number without having a SIM card mailed to you or having to buy one at a retail store like Best Buy .
However , there are two caveats to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only new Google Fi users can activate via eSIM on iOS , and activation over eSIM is only supported by iPhones with Dual SIM functionality : the iPhone XR , XS , XS Max , and 11 series of phones .
Activation over eSIM is only supported by iPhones with Dual SIM functionality If you ’ re a new Google Fi customer and have a supported iPhone , Google has a support page with instructions about how to activate your Google Fi via eSIM .
You ’ ll need to sign up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , opt in to “ Quick setup ” on the website , and download the Google Fi iOS app to be able to activate over eSIM .
Once you have everything set up , visit http : //fi.google.com/ios/quicksetup on a device that ’ s not your iPhone , such as your laptop , then sign in to your account and follow the instructions .
Google offers two types of plans for Google Fi : a flexible plan , which has a lower base monthly rate for unlimited calls and texts but requires you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every gigabyte of data you use per month , and an unlimited plan , which has a more expensive but consistent monthly fee that lets you use unlimited data ( with some caveats ) in addition to unlimited calls and texts .
However , Google Fi for iOS is in beta , meaning that the wireless service doesn ’ t have all of the same features as it does on Android phones that are designed for the service , such as the Pixel 4 .
You ’ ll have to tweak your iPhone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send texts to phones that aren ’ t iPhones , for example , and you won ’ t be able to use Google Fi ’ s VPN .

Google’s wireless network, Google Fi, can now be activated on an iPhone via eSIM, as spotted by 9to5Google. That means you can use a Google Fi number on your iPhone in addition to your phone number that’s hooked up to the physical SIM card that sits in the SIM tray in your iPhone. It also means you can get a Google Fi number without having a SIM card mailed to you or having to buy one at a retail store like Best Buy.
However, there are two caveats to the new feature. Google says that only new Google Fi users can activate via eSIM on iOS, and activation over eSIM is only supported by iPhones with Dual SIM functionality: the iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, and 11 series of phones.
Activation over eSIM is only supported by iPhones with Dual SIM functionality
If you’re a new Google Fi customer and have a supported iPhone, Google has a support page with instructions about how to activate your Google Fi via eSIM. You’ll need to sign up for Google Fi on the Google Fi website, opt in to “Quick setup” on the website, and download the Google Fi iOS app to be able to activate over eSIM. Once you have everything set up, visit http://fi.google.com/ios/quicksetup on a device that’s not your iPhone, such as your laptop, then sign in to your account and follow the instructions.
Google offers two types of plans for Google Fi: a flexible plan, which has a lower base monthly rate for unlimited calls and texts but requires you to pay an additional $10 for every gigabyte of data you use per month, and an unlimited plan, which has a more expensive but consistent monthly fee that lets you use unlimited data (with some caveats) in addition to unlimited calls and texts.


theverge--2020-04-16--Google saw more than 18 million daily malware and phishing emails related to COVID-19 last week

Google says it saw more than 18 million daily malware and phishing emails related to COVID-19 scams just in the past week .
That ’ s on top of the more than 240 million daily spam messages it sees related to the novel coronavirus , the company says .
The phishing attacks and scams “ use both fear and financial incentives to create urgency to try to prompt users to respond , ” Google says .
In other words , same email scam , different subject line .
These scams include impersonating government organizations like the World Health Organization to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into downloading malware ; pretending to have information about government stimulus payments ; and phishing attempts aimed at workers who are working remotely .
This scammer pretends to be affiliated with the recipient ’ s employer : Google say its artificial intelligence-powered protections filter such threats , and that it blocks “ more than 99.9 percent of spam , phishing , and malware from reaching our users ” using AI and other techniques .
The company also says it worked with WHO on implementing DMARC ( Domain-based Message Authentication , Reporting , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for scammers to impersonate the who.int domain and prevent legitimate emails from the WHO from being caught in spam filters .
The company says in many cases the malware and phishing threats aren ’ t new but just existing malware campaigns updated to exploit fear and confusion around COVID-19 .
The usual cautions apply : don ’ t click links in emails you weren ’ t expecting , report phishing emails , and make sure a URL is legitimate before providing any information , since most scammers try to closely approximate real URLs @

Google says it saw more than 18 million daily malware and phishing emails related to COVID-19 scams just in the past week. That’s on top of the more than 240 million daily spam messages it sees related to the novel coronavirus, the company says.
The phishing attacks and scams “use both fear and financial incentives to create urgency to try to prompt users to respond,” Google says. In other words, same email scam, different subject line.
These scams include impersonating government organizations like the World Health Organization to try to solicit donations or trick users into downloading malware; pretending to have information about government stimulus payments; and phishing attempts aimed at workers who are working remotely. This scammer pretends to be affiliated with the recipient’s employer:
Google say its artificial intelligence-powered protections filter such threats, and that it blocks “more than 99.9 percent of spam, phishing, and malware from reaching our users” using AI and other techniques. The company also says it worked with WHO on implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) to make it more difficult for scammers to impersonate the who.int domain and prevent legitimate emails from the WHO from being caught in spam filters.


theverge--2020-04-16--Microsoft signs multiyear deal with the NBA for Azure and Surface

Microsoft has signed a multiyear deal with National Basketball Association ( NBA ) to become the official AI , cloud , and laptop provider for the league .
The deal will see the NBA using Microsoft ’ s Azure platform to broadcast live and on-demand basketball games , with personalized content .
The NBA will also use Microsoft ’ s Surface products , although the company isn ’ t revealing in detail how these will be used .
Microsoft struck a similar deal with the National Football League ( NFL ) to supply Surface tablets back in 2013 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cloud and Laptop Partner.
” Microsoft also extended its NFL deal recently so that all 32 teams will use Microsoft Teams for communications .
Other details about the deal are fairly vague .
Microsoft says it will also assist the NBA with its historical video archive and data sources as part of this new deal to surface them in new ways using machine learning and data analytics .
“ This will create a more personalized fan experience that tailors the content to the preferences of the fan , rewards participation , and provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” explains Microsoft .
The deal comes in the middle of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , at a time when the NBA is on pause .
Both companies will start working together on platform tech for the 2020–21 NBA season , and Microsoft will become “ an associate partner of future marquee events , including NBA All-Star , MGM Resorts NBA Summer League and WNBA All-Star .
”

Microsoft has signed a multiyear deal with National Basketball Association (NBA) to become the official AI, cloud, and laptop provider for the league. The deal will see the NBA using Microsoft’s Azure platform to broadcast live and on-demand basketball games, with personalized content.
The NBA will also use Microsoft’s Surface products, although the company isn’t revealing in detail how these will be used. Microsoft struck a similar deal with the National Football League (NFL) to supply Surface tablets back in 2013, but this NBA deal only mentions “Official Cloud and Laptop Partner.” Microsoft also extended its NFL deal recently so that all 32 teams will use Microsoft Teams for communications.
Other details about the deal are fairly vague. Microsoft says it will also assist the NBA with its historical video archive and data sources as part of this new deal to surface them in new ways using machine learning and data analytics. “This will create a more personalized fan experience that tailors the content to the preferences of the fan, rewards participation, and provides more insights and analysis than ever,” explains Microsoft.


theverge--2020-04-16--Facebook cancels Oculus Connect meetup and all other large events until 2021

Facebook is canceling any physical events with more than 50 people through June 2021 .
CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted the news as part of an update on Facebook ’ s COVID-19 pandemic response , where he also said the “ vast majority ” of Facebook employees would work from home until at least the end of next month .
The cancellations include the Oculus Connect 7 virtual reality conference in San Jose , which is being replaced by an online-only event .
“ We will require the vast majority of our employees to work from home through at least the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safer environment both for our employees doing critical jobs who must be in the office and for everyone else in our local communities , ” writes Zuckerberg .
Some employees , including moderators who cover terrorism and self-harm-related content , can ’ t work remotely .
But “ overall , we don ’ t expect to have everyone back in our offices for some time.
” Zuckerberg notes that health experts don ’ t know when large gatherings will be advisable again , so Facebook is preemptively canceling physical events for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oculus Connect but probably also the company ’ s main F8 conference , which is typically held in the spring .
To make up for the loss in revenue from Oculus Connect 7 , Facebook will donate $ 500,000 to the city of San Jose .
Much of Oculus Connect is already streamed online , but the show is also a chance for press and developers to check out prototype hardware and new games and apps .
Facebook is extending its “ no business travel ” policy through June 2021 as well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even ask smaller groups to come see hardware .
As for the rest , “ we look forward to sharing more details about the digital event in the coming months.
” One leak suggests Oculus is working on a new headset codenamed “ Del Mar , ” and the company could still announce news about it at the show — but with manufacturing supply chains currently in flux , it could be hitting pause on that project , too .

Facebook is canceling any physical events with more than 50 people through June 2021. CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted the news as part of an update on Facebook’s COVID-19 pandemic response, where he also said the “vast majority” of Facebook employees would work from home until at least the end of next month. The cancellations include the Oculus Connect 7 virtual reality conference in San Jose, which is being replaced by an online-only event.
“We will require the vast majority of our employees to work from home through at least the end of May in order to create a safer environment both for our employees doing critical jobs who must be in the office and for everyone else in our local communities,” writes Zuckerberg. Some employees, including moderators who cover terrorism and self-harm-related content, can’t work remotely. But “overall, we don’t expect to have everyone back in our offices for some time.”
Zuckerberg notes that health experts don’t know when large gatherings will be advisable again, so Facebook is preemptively canceling physical events for the next year. That covers not only Oculus Connect but probably also the company’s main F8 conference, which is typically held in the spring. To make up for the loss in revenue from Oculus Connect 7, Facebook will donate $500,000 to the city of San Jose.


theverge--2020-04-17--Sourd.io is like a fitness tracker for your sourdough starter

Baking sourdough can be a tricky business .
Unlike other breads , where you can reliably use off-the-shelf dried yeast for a consistent result , sourdough uses a sourdough starter , which most people make themselves using a combination of flour and water .
There are a ton of variables to getting it right , so why not use a DIY piece of tech to take some of the guesswork out ?
That ’ s the aim of Sourd.Io , a DIY project put together by Twilio ’ s Christine Sunu .
The device is designed to be installed into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it can measure the humidity and temperature of your starter and track its rise over time .
That ’ s important because it should help you understand when your starter is at its most potent ( aka , it ’ s reached the peak of its rise ) , and ready for baking .
It can even generate alerts when your starter is ready for baking .
It ’ s a neat little project , and it nicely highlights how incredibly nerdy it ’ s possible to get about an otherwise very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its core , baking is just chemistry , which means that sourdough is exactly the kind of thing that people like Silicon Valley tech bros can obsess over .
Although it ’ s easy ( and , dare I say it , fun ) to obsess over the data , you can also safely ignore a lot of the numbers if that ’ s not your thing .
Check out our guide on how to make a sourdough starter , which is completely free of any mention of hydration levels or humidity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ starter is ready to bake with , then the easiest way is to take a spoon of it and put it into a glass of room-temperature water .
If it floats , it ’ s fine ; if it sinks , it ’ s not ready .
It ’ ll never be quite as easy as using off-the-shelf yeast , but then again , actually getting your hands on yeast at the moment can be a challenge .
If you ’ d like to take a more scientific approach , however , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to build the Sourd.Io project here .
Unfortunately , for the time being , the device ’ s internet connectivity will only work in the US because it relies on Twilio ’ s Narrowband tech , but Sunu says she ’ s planning a second version that will connect with Super SIM and should work globally .

Baking sourdough can be a tricky business. Unlike other breads, where you can reliably use off-the-shelf dried yeast for a consistent result, sourdough uses a sourdough starter, which most people make themselves using a combination of flour and water. There are a ton of variables to getting it right, so why not use a DIY piece of tech to take some of the guesswork out?
That’s the aim of Sourd.Io, a DIY project put together by Twilio’s Christine Sunu. The device is designed to be installed into the top of a Ball jar, and it can measure the humidity and temperature of your starter and track its rise over time. That’s important because it should help you understand when your starter is at its most potent (aka, it’s reached the peak of its rise), and ready for baking. It can even generate alerts when your starter is ready for baking.
It’s a neat little project, and it nicely highlights how incredibly nerdy it’s possible to get about an otherwise very traditional form of bread baking. At its core, baking is just chemistry, which means that sourdough is exactly the kind of thing that people like Silicon Valley tech bros can obsess over.
Although it’s easy (and, dare I say it, fun) to obsess over the data, you can also safely ignore a lot of the numbers if that’s not your thing. Check out our guide on how to make a sourdough starter, which is completely free of any mention of hydration levels or humidity. If you want to know whether a starter is ready to bake with, then the easiest way is to take a spoon of it and put it into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats, it’s fine; if it sinks, it’s not ready. It’ll never be quite as easy as using off-the-shelf yeast, but then again, actually getting your hands on yeast at the moment can be a challenge.


theverge--2020-04-17--How to record your screen on a Mac

How to record your screen on a Mac

Whether you want to save a video of what ’ s playing on your screen , share what you ’ re looking at with friends , or film a tutorial , recording your Mac ’ s screen can come in handy .
Luckily , Macs have this feature built in ( your iPhone does as well ) , letting you record part or all of your screen .
It also lets you record external audio — anything coming in through your mic — but the Mac ’ s built-in options don ’ t let you record internal audio .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ download a third-party app , like Soundflower .
You can , of course , turn on the external mic and turn up the volume , but this won ’ t give you great audio .
One more caveat : some apps , like Apple ’ s built-in DVD Player , will block you from doing any screen recording .
You can record your screen through QuickTime Player for all versions of macOS up to Mojave , but in newer versions of macOS ( Mojave and Catalina ) , there ’ s a separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your screen .
We ’ ll go through using that first , then cover the steps for using QuickTime .
Record your screen in macOS Mojave or Catalina • A control bar will appear at the bottom of your screen .
You can use it for grabbing still screenshots or for recording a video of your screen .
• Click on “ Options ” to set your preferences .
You can switch on your microphone , for example , set a timer , and choose where the recording will be saved .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the button that shows a screen with a solid outline and a circle in the corner .
• To record a section of your screen , click on the button that shows a screen with a dotted outline and a circle in the corner .
Part of your screen will be highlighted and you ’ ll see dotted lines marking what you ’ ll be recording .
You can resize or move that window .
• When you ’ re ready , click “ Record.
” If you ’ re recording your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the screen to start recording .
• To stop recording , you can either press the stop button in the right corner of the menu bar at the top of the screen or press Command + Control + Esc .
You can also press Command + Shift + 5 to pull up the Screenshot bar at the bottom of the screen and hit the stop button in the center of that bar .
If you have macOS Mojave or earlier , you can use QuickTime Player to record your screen .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , opening up QuickTime Player and clicking “ New Screen Recording ” will automatically open up the Screenshot app , as above . )
• Click on File in the top menu ( or , if QuickTime is in your dock , right-click on the icon ) and select “ New Screen Recording.
” • You ’ ll get a pop-up window labeled “ Screen Recording.
” Click the arrow next to the record button for recording options , like choosing to record audio from your computer ’ s external mic or to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record the entire screen , click anywhere on the screen .
• To record a section of the screen , click and drag the cursor to create a window ( you can resize or move it if you wish ) and then click the “ Start Recording ” button in the middle of that window .
• To stop recording , either click on the stop button in your top menu bar or press Command + Control + Esc .
• Either way , QuickTime will open the video for you to view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partnerships .
These do not influence editorial content , though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links .
For more information , see

Whether you want to save a video of what’s playing on your screen, share what you’re looking at with friends, or film a tutorial, recording your Mac’s screen can come in handy. Luckily, Macs have this feature built in (your iPhone does as well), letting you record part or all of your screen.
It also lets you record external audio — anything coming in through your mic — but the Mac’s built-in options don’t let you record internal audio. For that, you’ll have to download a third-party app, like Soundflower. You can, of course, turn on the external mic and turn up the volume, but this won’t give you great audio.
One more caveat: some apps, like Apple’s built-in DVD Player, will block you from doing any screen recording.
You can record your screen through QuickTime Player for all versions of macOS up to Mojave, but in newer versions of macOS (Mojave and Catalina), there’s a separate app called Screenshot which lets you record your screen. We’ll go through using that first, then cover the steps for using QuickTime.
Record your screen in macOS Mojave or Catalina
Press Command + Shift + 5 to open Screenshot.
A control bar will appear at the bottom of your screen. You can use it for grabbing still screenshots or for recording a video of your screen.
Click on “Options” to set your preferences. You can switch on your microphone, for example, set a timer, and choose where the recording will be saved.
To record the whole screen, click on the button that shows a screen with a solid outline and a circle in the corner.
To record a section of your screen, click on the button that shows a screen with a dotted outline and a circle in the corner. Part of your screen will be highlighted and you’ll see dotted lines marking what you’ll be recording. You can resize or move that window.
When you’re ready, click “Record.” If you’re recording your whole screen, you can click anywhere on the screen to start recording.
To stop recording, you can either press the stop button in the right corner of the menu bar at the top of the screen or press Command + Control + Esc. You can also press Command + Shift + 5 to pull up the Screenshot bar at the bottom of the screen and hit the stop button in the center of that bar.
Record your screen with QuickTime Player
If you have macOS Mojave or earlier, you can use QuickTime Player to record your screen. (If you’re using macOS Catalina, opening up QuickTime Player and clicking “New Screen Recording” will automatically open up the Screenshot app, as above.)
Open up QuickTime Player.
Click on File in the top menu (or, if QuickTime is in your dock, right-click on the icon) and select “New Screen Recording.”
You’ll get a pop-up window labeled “Screen Recording.” Click the arrow next to the record button for recording options, like choosing to record audio from your computer’s external mic or to show your mouse clicks.
Click the red record button.
To record the entire screen, click anywhere on the screen.
To record a section of the screen, click and drag the cursor to create a window (you can resize or move it if you wish) and then click the “Start Recording” button in the middle of that window.
To stop recording, either click on the stop button in your top menu bar or press Command + Control + Esc.
Either way, QuickTime will open the video for you to view and edit.


theverge--2020-04-17--Apple Music for the web leaves beta in time for One World: Together at Home concert

Apple Music ’ s web interface has left beta , MacRumors reports .
Heading to beta.music.apple.com now redirects to music.apple.com , where you ’ ll see an interface that ’ s similar to the Music app on Macs .
The launch comes a little over six months after the web interface launched in beta , and days before Apple Music will be one of the online streaming providers of the Lady Gaga-curated One World : Together at Home concert .
Using Apple Music on the web you can play music , view personalized recommendations , and listen to the radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple Music subscribers on Windows , Linux , or ChromeOS , since these platforms don ’ t currently have a native Apple Music app .
On Saturday , Apple Music will be one of the streaming services hosting One World : Together at Home , a concert organized to raise awareness and celebrate the healthcare workers currently fighting the pandemic .
Apple says that it will stream the linear broadcast starting at 8pm ET ( 5pm PT ) .
There ’ s also a multi-hour live stream that ’ s due to air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onwards on almost every major streaming platform including Amazon , Facebook , Twitch , Twitter , and YouTube , according to One World .

Apple Music’s web interface has left beta, MacRumors reports. Heading to beta.music.apple.com now redirects to music.apple.com, where you’ll see an interface that’s similar to the Music app on Macs. The launch comes a little over six months after the web interface launched in beta, and days before Apple Music will be one of the online streaming providers of the Lady Gaga-curated One World: Together at Home concert.
Using Apple Music on the web you can play music, view personalized recommendations, and listen to the radio. It’s great news for Apple Music subscribers on Windows, Linux, or ChromeOS, since these platforms don’t currently have a native Apple Music app.


theverge--2020-04-17--Coronavirus misinformation is putting Facebook to the test

The Interface is a daily column and newsletter about the intersection of social media and democracy .
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A few years ago , Facebook became aware that Russia kept posting misinformation all over the network .
The misinformation was designed to rile people up and make them share with their friends , and because people are generally pretty easy to rile up , Russia ’ s strategy was very successful .
Some prominent political scientists believe that the country ’ s election interference , both on and off Facebook , ushered Donald Trump into office .
And we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past three and a half years arguing about it .
About a year after the election , Facebook introduced a tool to let people know if they had unwittingly interacted with the Russian troll army .
If you liked the page of a troll in disguise , you could visit an obscure part of Facebook and it would tell you .
The tool would not tell you if you had viewed any of the page ’ s posts , or even if you had shared them .
Alex Hern wrote about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Fast-forward to today , when the misinformation we ’ re worried about primarily has to do with COVID-19 .
Over the past few weeks , we ’ ve talked about hoaxes attempting to link the coronavirus to new 5G networks , dangerous fake “ cures ” based on drinking bleach , and so on .
Reporting has consistently found these sorts of articles racking up thousands of shares on Facebook .
Even more than Russian misinformation , the COVID-19 hoaxes pose clear public health risks .
So what should Facebook do about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it would invite people who had shared a hoax to visit a page created by the World Health Organization debunking popular COVID-19 myths .
Here ’ s Guy Rosen , Facebook ’ s vice president of integrity , in a blog post : If you didn ’ t read the above paragraph closely , you might assume Facebook ’ s system would work something like this : You share an article that says something like , “ huffing macaroni and cheese fumes cures coronavirus , ” that article gets debunked by an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ links you to the WHO ’ s page about macaroni and cheese myths .
Maybe there would even be a message that said something like , “ Just so you know , huffing macaroni and cheese does not cure coronavirus .
Click here for more.
” But we have learned that people are hard-headed and do not enjoy being told that they are have been duped .
There was a famous moment after the 2016 election when Facebook began labeling false posts as “ disputed ” and discovered that doing so made people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company has taken a different approach here .
A few weeks from now , people who have shared mac-and-cheese-cured-my-COVID type posts will see a big story in the News Feed .
It is not labeled “ Hey , you have been duped.
” Rather , it says : “ Help friends and family avoid false information about COVID-19.
” It then invites them to share a link to the WHO ’ s myth-busting site , as well as a button that will take the user to the site directly .
The goal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people less defensive about the fact that they may have been wrong , and try to smuggle some good information into their brains without making them feel dumb about it .
The appeal to helping friends and family is also a nice touch .
Who doesn ’ t want to help their friends and family ?
And Facebook is putting the information directly into the News Feed — no need to visit some arcane help center buried beneath layers of taps .
( If you share a post that gets contains misinformation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a separate notification about that . )
But this approach also has downsides .
If you do want to know if you ’ ve accidentally shared a lie to all your friends , this tool won ’ t help you .
And the WHO myth-busting page currently debunks 19 different hoaxes — what are the odds you ’ re going to scroll all the way down to the one you accidentally shared and read it ?
What about next month , when that list has grown to 40 ?
This is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights group that tracks misinformation closely , published an in-depth report this week that examined 100 pieces of misinformation , written in six languages , that were shared on Facebook .
It found that those posts were shared more than 1.7 million times and seen an estimated 117 million times .
( Vice talks to the authors . )
The authors of the Avaaz report argue that Facebook should inform each person who has viewed coronavirus misinformation about exactly what they got wrong .
The group even conducted a test of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this can work : Avaad said its study showed that belief in misinformation declined at least 50 percent in study participants .
Rosen told me that calling out these hoaxes with a special message might give them more visibility than they originally had , amplifying the misinformation .
Maybe you scrolled by a piece of misinformation without internalizing its contents ; if Facebook puts a big red box in the News Feed that says “ by the way , this is false , ” the effects could be counterproductive .
Still , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of language that more explicitly says that a person is seeing the WHO messages because they saw misinformation .
The goal is to provide the most effective messaging possible , he said .
One possibility I see is to offer different interventions based on whether someone simply saw a hoax , or actively commented on or shared it .
People who share hoaxes arguably deserve a stronger response than someone who simply saw something — or maybe even just thumbed past it — in their feed .
Compared to its early work on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken a refreshingly interventionist approach to stopping the spread of COVID-19 misinformation .
But it also remains unclear which of those interventions actually work .
Given the risks to public health , here ’ s hoping that Facebook learns quickly .
On Tuesday , we announced that the next edition of our Interface Live series featuring me in ( live-streamed ) conversation with Sarah Frier , author of No Filter : The Inside Story of Instagram .
The event takes place April 21st at 5:30 p.m. PT , and you can register here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you do have to RSVP — and we ’ re now almost at capacity .
If you ’ d like to join , please RSVP today !
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
⬆ Trending up : Facebook rolled out a new alert on Facebook and Instagram to tell people who ’ ve lost their job and health insurance due to COVID-19 to check out HealthCare.gov to see if they ’ re eligible for coverage through the Affordable Care Act .
⬆ Trending up : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an effort to crack down on subscription scam apps .
⬇ Trending down : A YouTube video falsely accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci of being part of the deep state has gone viral , with more than 6 million views in a week .
The video also advises people to treat COVID-19 with vitamin C — a claim that wasn ’ t backed up by science .
Not good , YouTube .
⬇ Trending down : An outbreak of coronavirus infections at an upscale Whole Foods in Washington DC has highlighted how dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
At least six employees have the virus , but the company won ’ t close the store .
Workers are instead free to take leave without penalty through the end of April — but it ’ s unpaid .
⬇ Trending down : Construction on Amazon ’ s HQ2 in Pentagon City , Virginia is moving forward during coronavirus pandemic .
Some neighbors said they ’ ve been surprised to see the job site has remained busy .
What ’ s the argument that this is essential business ?
San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a human-centered approach to contact tracing in the coming weeks .
Meanwhile at Eater , Eve Batey reports that the Bay Area may allow gatherings of up to 10 people starting next month .
Getting a coronavirus test still depends heavily on what state you live in .
( Colin Lecher , Maddy Varner , and Emmanuel Martinez / The Markup ) Facebook has canceled all in-person conferences through June 2021 .
Many others will follow .
Including most of the entertainment and professional sports industry , I imagine .
( Queenie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass testing around the world for the coronavirus is needed to “ get the economy back up and running.
” In a letter to Amazon shareholders , he also announced plans to test all Amazon workers , even those not showing symptoms .
You can read the full letter here .
( Annie Palmer / CNBC ) Amazon is redesigning its website to encourage shoppers to buy less , in an effort to keep up with surging demand .
It removed most of its popular recommendation widgets and canceled Mother ’ s and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dana Mattioli / The Wall Street Journal ) Now that presidential campaigns are mostly happening remotely , reporters don ’ t have access to face-to-face interviews with swing voters or political operatives .
“ There is no more campaign trail , ” says this author .
( Michael M. Grynbaum / The New York Times ) The Anti-Defamation League warns white supremacists are targeting Jewish groups on Zoom .
While the company has rolled out new security measures , the ADL says it still must do more to protect people .
( Zoe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sundar Pichai talks to Time about the role he thinks Big Tech should play in the coronavirus pandemic .
Another journalist sits down with Google ’ s CEO for an interview hoping for some news and comes away empty-handed .
What ’ s the point ?
( See also . )
( Nancy Gibbs / Time ) Across Asia , hackers , web developers , and students are collaborating to track Covid-19 data .
A site in South Korea has become one of the country ’ s leading sources of accurate , up-to-the-minute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected people have traveled .
( Sheridan Prasso and Sohee Kim / Bloomberg ) The US Department of Veterans Affairs began making Portal from Facebook devices available to Veterans and their families , to reduce isolation and improve social connectedness at home .
In the quarantine age , Cameo has become the gig economy for niche celebs .
Some are using it to compensate for a loss of income due to the pandemic .
Others say they ’ re just bored .
( Zach Schonfeld / Vice ) Across the games industry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandate .
Some struggle to stay motivated as they grapple with isolation , others say their routines remain largely unchanged .
( Megan Farokhmanesh / The Verge ) Total cases in the US : At least 662,441 Total deaths in the US : More than 30,000 Data from The New York Times .
⭐ How India , the world ’ s largest democracy , became the world ’ s largest experiment in social media and WhatsApp-fueled terror .
The country has seen a sharp rise in right-wing Hindu vigilantism and violence against Muslims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Mohammad Ali at Wired : Joe Biden isn ’ t very good at the internet .
That ’ s a liability heading into a general election with Donald Trump .
( Kevin Roose / New York Times ) ⭐ Libra is pulling back from its ambitions to create a global digital currency in a bid to appease global regulators .
The Libra Association , set up last year by Facebook , now plans to develop a handful of stablecoins each representing a different fiat currency .
I would be lying if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means , or what Libra is , or why it is moving forward .
Brady Dale at CoinDesk reports : YouTube ad prices have dropped 20 percent during the pandemic .
There ’ s simply more inventory than there are advertisers .
( Max Willens / Digiday ) Tim Cook talked up Apple ’ s strengths during an all-hands meeting about the pandemic with employees .
( Mark Gurman / Bloomberg ) Amazon might offer health insurance to its sellers as part of a gradual push into healthcare .
( Jason Del Rey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a deal made with Chinese tech giant Tencent to provide videoconferencing services for the organization ’ s 75th anniversary .
The move follows backlash from US officials and critics who claimed the arrangement rewarded a company that has enabled Beijing ’ s digital surveillance efforts and stifled free speech .
Tencent is a big investor in Snap , among other US companies .
( Colum Lynch and Robbie Gramer / Foreign Policy ) Google is launching a new Kids section for the Google Play Store , which will offer a selection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app includes a list of reasons why teachers like it , including age-appropriateness , and what it ’ s trying to teach children .
( Jon Porter / The Verge ) Google integrated its videoconferencing tool Meet with Gmail in order to better compete with Zoom .
Now business and education users can take calls directly from the email app .
( Paresh Dave / Reuters ) Verizon is buying the video conferencing platform BlueJeans as workers increasingly rely remote working tools to connect during the coronavirus pandemic .
Verizon will pay about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BlueJeans is Facebook ’ s internal video chat app of choice , for what it ’ s worth .
( Lauren Feiner / CNBC ) TikTok amped up its parental controls with a feature that lets parents remotely set restrictions on their kids ’ accounts .
The new feature , called Family Pairing , allows parents disable direct messages , turn on restricted content mode , and set screen time limits .
( Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge ) Animal Crossing fans are using the game to take people on Tinder dates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s favorite psychologist , Dr. Nicole LePera , is part of the # selfhealer movement that teaches people to reject established science and question traditional psychotherapy in order to heal themselves from within .
( Katie Way / Vice ) That doesn ’ t always work !
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Anonymously AirDrop a photo telling people to get further away from you if they ’ re not social distancing .
Hilarious , although perhaps less effective than just telling them .
Listen to a new podcast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the newsletter Kevin Roose about the internet .
Among other things , Rabbit Hole will delve into how YouTube can radicalize viewers .
Go on a virtual tour of Disneyland , Anaheim , broken down by each individual land in the park .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and macaroni and cheese posts : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

A few years ago, Facebook became aware that Russia kept posting misinformation all over the network. The misinformation was designed to rile people up and make them share with their friends, and because people are generally pretty easy to rile up, Russia’s strategy was very successful. Some prominent political scientists believe that the country’s election interference, both on and off Facebook, ushered Donald Trump into office. And we’ve spent a good portion of the past three and a half years arguing about it.
About a year after the election, Facebook introduced a tool to let people know if they had unwittingly interacted with the Russian troll army. If you liked the page of a troll in disguise, you could visit an obscure part of Facebook and it would tell you. The tool would not tell you if you had viewed any of the page’s posts, or even if you had shared them. Alex Hern wrote about this flaw at the time in The Guardian:
Facebook will not tell those users about their exposure to misinformation, although the company has not said whether it is unable, or simply unwilling, to provide that information. A source close to the company described it as “challenging” to reliably identify and notify everyone who had been incidentally exposed to foreign propaganda.
Fast-forward to today, when the misinformation we’re worried about primarily has to do with COVID-19. Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about hoaxes attempting to link the coronavirus to new 5G networks, dangerous fake “cures” based on drinking bleach, and so on. Reporting has consistently found these sorts of articles racking up thousands of shares on Facebook. Even more than Russian misinformation, the COVID-19 hoaxes pose clear public health risks. So what should Facebook do about it?
On Thursday, the company said it would invite people who had shared a hoax to visit a page created by the World Health Organization debunking popular COVID-19 myths. Here’s Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president of integrity, in a blog post:
We’re going to start showing messages in News Feed to people who have liked, reacted or commented on harmful misinformation about COVID-19 that we have since removed. These messages will connect people to COVID-19 myths debunked by the WHO including ones we’ve removed from our platform for leading to imminent physical harm. We want to connect people who may have interacted with harmful misinformation about the virus with the truth from authoritative sources in case they see or hear these claims again off of Facebook. People will start seeing these messages in the coming weeks.
If you didn’t read the above paragraph closely, you might assume Facebook’s system would work something like this: You share an article that says something like, “huffing macaroni and cheese fumes cures coronavirus,” that article gets debunked by an independent fact checker, and then Facebook links you to the WHO’s page about macaroni and cheese myths. Maybe there would even be a message that said something like, “Just so you know, huffing macaroni and cheese does not cure coronavirus. Click here for more.”
But we have learned that people are hard-headed and do not enjoy being told that they have been duped. There was a famous moment after the 2016 election when Facebook began labeling false posts as “disputed” and discovered that doing so made people share them more. And so the company has taken a different approach here.
A few weeks from now, people who have shared mac-and-cheese-cured-my-COVID type posts will see a big story in the News Feed. It is not labeled “Hey, you have been duped.” Rather, it says: “Help friends and family avoid false information about COVID-19.” It then invites them to share a link to the WHO’s myth-busting site, as well as a button that will take the user to the site directly.
The goal of this type of approach is to make people less defensive about the fact that they may have been wrong, and try to smuggle some good information into their brains without making them feel dumb about it. The appeal to helping friends and family is also a nice touch. Who doesn’t want to help their friends and family? And Facebook is putting the information directly into the News Feed — no need to visit some arcane help center buried beneath layers of taps. (If you share a post that gets contains misinformation and is removed, you’ll also get a separate notification about that.)
But this approach also has downsides. If you do want to know if you’ve accidentally shared a lie to all your friends, this tool won’t help you. And the WHO myth-busting page currently debunks 19 different hoaxes — what are the odds you’re going to scroll all the way down to the one you accidentally shared and read it? What about next month, when that list has grown to 40?
This is not a small problem. Avaaz, a human rights group that tracks misinformation closely, published an in-depth report this week that examined 100 pieces of misinformation, written in six languages, that were shared on Facebook. It found that those posts were shared more than 1.7 million times and seen an estimated 117 million times. (Vice talks to the authors.)
The authors of the Avaaz report argue that Facebook should inform each person who has viewed coronavirus misinformation about exactly what they got wrong. The group even conducted a test of this system that it says shows something like this can work:
In order to test the effectiveness of corrections, a hyper-realistic visual model of Facebook was designed to mimic the user experience on the platform. Then a representative sample of the American population, consisting of 2,000 anonymous participants, chosen and surveyed independently by YouGov’s Academic, Political, & Public Affairs Research branch, were randomly shown up to 5 pieces of false news that were based on real, independently fact-checked examples of false or misleading content being shared on Facebook. Through a randomized model, some of the users, after seeing the false news, were shown corrections. Some users saw only the false or misleading content, and some saw neither. Then the surveyed participants answered questions designed to test whether they believed the false news.
Avaad said its study showed that belief in misinformation declined at least 50 percent in study participants.
Rosen told me that calling out these hoaxes with a special message might give them more visibility than they originally had, amplifying the misinformation. Maybe you scrolled by a piece of misinformation without internalizing its contents; if Facebook puts a big red box in the News Feed that says “by the way, this is false,” the effects could be counterproductive.
Still, he said, Facebook is testing the use of language that more explicitly says that a person is seeing the WHO messages because they saw misinformation. The goal is to provide the most effective messaging possible, he said.
One possibility I see is to offer different interventions based on whether someone simply saw a hoax, or actively commented on or shared it. People who share hoaxes arguably deserve a stronger response than someone who simply saw something — or maybe even just thumbed past it — in their feed.
Compared to its early work on the Russian troll problem, Facebook has taken a refreshingly interventionist approach to stopping the spread of COVID-19 misinformation. But it also remains unclear which of those interventions actually work. Given the risks to public health, here’s hoping that Facebook learns quickly.
The Interface Live!
On Tuesday, we announced that the next edition of our Interface Live series featuring me in (live-streamed) conversation with Sarah Frier, author of No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram. The event takes place April 21st at 5:30 p.m. PT, and you can register here. It’s free, but you do have to RSVP — and we’re now almost at capacity. If you’d like to join, please RSVP today!
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
⬆ Trending up: Google finally tightened up Play store rules in an effort to crack down on subscription scam apps.
⬇ Trending down: A YouTube video falsely accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci of being part of the deep state has gone viral, with more than 6 million views in a week. The video also advises people to treat COVID-19 with vitamin C — a claim that wasn’t backed up by science. Not good, YouTube.
⬇ Trending down: An outbreak of coronavirus infections at an upscale Whole Foods in Washington DC has highlighted how dangerous it is for grocery store workers during the pandemic. At least six employees have the virus, but the company won’t close the store. Workers are instead free to take leave without penalty through the end of April — but it’s unpaid.
⬇ Trending down: Construction on Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City, Virginia is moving forward during coronavirus pandemic. Some neighbors said they’ve been surprised to see the job site has remained busy. What’s the argument that this is essential business?
Pandemic
Meanwhile at Eater, Eve Batey reports that the Bay Area may allow gatherings of up to 10 people starting next month.
Getting a coronavirus test still depends heavily on what state you live in. (Colin Lecher, Maddy Varner, and Emmanuel Martinez / The Markup)
Facebook has canceled all in-person conferences through June 2021. Many others will follow. Including most of the entertainment and professional sports industry, I imagine. (Queenie Wong / CNET)
Amazon is redesigning its website to encourage shoppers to buy less, in an effort to keep up with surging demand. It removed most of its popular recommendation widgets and canceled Mother’s and Father’s Day promotions. (Dana Mattioli / The Wall Street Journal)
Now that presidential campaigns are mostly happening remotely, reporters don’t have access to face-to-face interviews with swing voters or political operatives. “There is no more campaign trail,” says this author. (Michael M. Grynbaum / The New York Times)
The Anti-Defamation League warns white supremacists are targeting Jewish groups on Zoom. While the company has rolled out new security measures, the ADL says it still must do more to protect people. (Zoe Schiffer / The Verge)
Across Asia, hackers, web developers, and students are collaborating to track Covid-19 data. A site in South Korea has become one of the country’s leading sources of accurate, up-to-the-minute tallies of confirmed infections and places where infected people have traveled. (Sheridan Prasso and Sohee Kim / Bloomberg)
In the quarantine age, Cameo has become the gig economy for niche celebs. Some are using it to compensate for a loss of income due to the pandemic. Others say they’re just bored. (Zach Schonfeld / Vice)
Across the games industry, developers are adjusting to a new work-from-home mandate. Some struggle to stay motivated as they grapple with isolation, others say their routines remain largely unchanged. (Megan Farokhmanesh / The Verge)
Virus tracker
Total cases in the US: At least 662,441
Total deaths in the US: More than 30,000
Reported cases in California: 27,250
Reported cases in New York: 222,284
Reported cases in New Jersey: 75,317
Reported cases in Massachusetts: 32,181
Reported cases in Michigan: 29,119
Governing
⭐ How India, the world’s largest democracy, became the world’s largest experiment in social media and WhatsApp-fueled terror. The country has seen a sharp rise in right-wing Hindu vigilantism and violence against Muslims over the past few years. Here’s Mohammad Ali at Wired:
But what seemed very real was that even if social media platforms hadn’t created the mass delusions of Hindu extremism, they had provided a shockingly efficient infrastructure for their spread. India has 400 million WhatsApp users and 260 million users of Facebook, and it is the largest global market for both platforms. Facebook has come under heavy fire in India for uneven enforcement of its community standards against hate speech and misinformation. A 2019 report by the NGO Equality Labs found that Islamophobic posts often stayed up on the platform. In a particularly chilling example, Equality Labs found a huge number of Indian Facebook posts targeting Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, who had already been the victims of one social-media-fueled ethnic cleansing in their home country. The Indian pages called the Rohingya “cockroaches” and posted fake videos that purported to show them cannibalizing Hindus—clear violations of Facebook’s standards.
Joe Biden isn’t very good at the internet. That’s a liability heading into a general election with Donald Trump. (Kevin Roose / New York Times)
Industry
⭐ Libra is pulling back from its ambitions to create a global digital currency in a bid to appease global regulators. The Libra Association, set up last year by Facebook, now plans to develop a handful of stablecoins each representing a different fiat currency. I would be lying if I told you I understood what that means, or what Libra is, or why it is moving forward. Brady Dale at CoinDesk reports:
The pivot, announced Thursday, represents a major concession to governments and central bankers around the world who balked at Libra’s original plan, partly out of concern it could undermine their monetary sovereignty. ”The journey since the original white paper was released has really provoked an important conversation around the world about, ‘How do we appropriately regulate digital payments and digital currencies?’” Libra Association vice-chairman Dante Disparte said in an interview.
YouTube ad prices have dropped 20 percent during the pandemic. There’s simply more inventory than there are advertisers. (Max Willens / Digiday)
Amazon might offer health insurance to its sellers as part of a gradual push into healthcare. (Jason Del Rey / Recode)
The United Nations backtracked on a deal made with Chinese tech giant Tencent to provide videoconferencing services for the organization’s 75th anniversary. The move follows backlash from US officials and critics who claimed the arrangement rewarded a company that has enabled Beijing’s digital surveillance efforts and stifled free speech. Tencent is a big investor in Snap, among other US companies. (Colum Lynch and Robbie Gramer / Foreign Policy)
Google is launching a new Kids section for the Google Play Store, which will offer a selection of “Teacher Approved” apps. Each app includes a list of reasons why teachers like it, including age-appropriateness, and what it’s trying to teach children. (Jon Porter / The Verge)
Google integrated its videoconferencing tool Meet with Gmail in order to better compete with Zoom. Now business and education users can take calls directly from the email app. (Paresh Dave / Reuters)
Verizon is buying the video conferencing platform BlueJeans as workers increasingly rely remote working tools to connect during the coronavirus pandemic. Verizon will pay about $400 million in the deal. BlueJeans is Facebook’s internal video chat app of choice, for what it’s worth. (Lauren Feiner / CNBC)
TikTok amped up its parental controls with a feature that lets parents remotely set restrictions on their kids’ accounts. The new feature, called Family Pairing, allows parents disable direct messages, turn on restricted content mode, and set screen time limits. (Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge)
Animal Crossing fans are using the game to take people on Tinder dates. (Patricia Hernandez / Polygon)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Anonymously AirDrop a photo telling people to get further away from you if they’re not social distancing. Hilarious, although perhaps less effective than just telling them.
Listen to a new podcast from New York Times reporter and friend of the newsletter Kevin Roose about the internet. Among other things, Rabbit Hole will delve into how YouTube can radicalize viewers.
And finally...
Talk to us


theverge--2020-04-17--Clearview AI’s source code and app data exposed in cybersecurity lapse

A security lapse at controversial facial recognition startup Clearview AI meant that its source code , some of its secret keys and cloud storage credentials , and even copies of its apps were publicly accessible .
TechCrunch reports that an exposed server was discovered by Mossab Hussein , Chief Security Officer at cybersecurity firm SpiderSilk , who found that it was configured to allow anyone to register as a new user and log in .
Clearview AI first made headlines back in January , when a New York Times exposé detailed its massive facial recognition database , which consists of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media platforms .
Users upload a picture of a person of interest , and Clearview AI ’ s software will attempt to match it with any similar images in its database , potentially revealing a person ’ s identity from a single image .
Its Mac , Windows , iOS , and Android apps were exposed Since its work became public , Clearview AI has defended itself by saying that its software is only available to law enforcement agencies ( although reports claim that Clearview has been marketing its system to private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buy ) .
Poor cybersecurity practices like these , however , could allow this powerful tool to fall into the wrong hands outside of the company ’ s client list .
According to TechCrunch , the server contained the source code to the company ’ s facial recognition database , as well as secret keys and credentials that allowed access to some of its cloud storage containing copies of its Windows , Mac , Android , and iOS apps .
Hussein was able to take screenshots of the company ’ s iOS app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its rules .
The company ’ s Slack tokens were also accessible , which could have allowed access to the company ’ s private internal communications .
Hussein also said he found around 70,000 videos in the company ’ s cloud storage taken from a camera installed in a residential building .
Clearview AI ’ s founder Hoan Ton-That told TechCrunch that the footage had been captured with the permission of the building ’ s management as part of attempts to prototype a security camera .
The building itself is reportedly located in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real estate firm in charge of the building did not return requests for comment .
Responding to the cybersecurity lapse , Ton-That said that it “ did not expose any personally identifiable information , search history , or biometric identifiers ” and added that the company has “ done a full forensic audit of the host to confirm no other unauthorized access occurred , ” which suggests that Hussein was the only one to access the misconfigured server .
The secret keys exposed by the server have also been changed so they no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system has faced fierce criticism from tech firms as well as US authorities after it became public .
Platforms used to build its database , including Facebook , Twitter , and YouTube , have told Clearview to stop scraping their images , police departments have been told not to use the software , and Vermont ’ s attorney general ’ s office recently launched an investigation into the company over allegations that it may have broken data protection rules .

A security lapse at controversial facial recognition startup Clearview AI meant that its source code, some of its secret keys and cloud storage credentials, and even copies of its apps were publicly accessible. TechCrunch reports that an exposed server was discovered by Mossab Hussein, Chief Security Officer at cybersecurity firm SpiderSilk, who found that it was configured to allow anyone to register as a new user and log in.
Clearview AI first made headlines back in January, when a New York Times exposé detailed its massive facial recognition database, which consists of billions of images scraped from websites and social media platforms. Users upload a picture of a person of interest, and Clearview AI’s software will attempt to match it with any similar images in its database, potentially revealing a person’s identity from a single image.
Its Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android apps were exposed
Since its work became public, Clearview AI has defended itself by saying that its software is only available to law enforcement agencies (although reports claim that Clearview has been marketing its system to private businesses including Macy’s and Best Buy). Poor cybersecurity practices like these, however, could allow this powerful tool to fall into the wrong hands outside of the company’s client list.
According to TechCrunch, the server contained the source code to the company’s facial recognition database, as well as secret keys and credentials that allowed access to some of its cloud storage containing copies of its Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS apps. Hussein was able to take screenshots of the company’s iOS app, which Apple recently blocked for violating its rules. The company’s Slack tokens were also accessible, which could have allowed access to the company’s private internal communications.
Hussein was able to access the service’s iOS app and take screenshots. Source: TechCrunch
Hussein also said he found around 70,000 videos in the company’s cloud storage taken from a camera installed in a residential building. Clearview AI’s founder Hoan Ton-That told TechCrunch that the footage had been captured with the permission of the building’s management as part of attempts to prototype a security camera. The building itself is reportedly located in Manhattan, but TechCrunch notes that the real estate firm in charge of the building did not return requests for comment.
Responding to the cybersecurity lapse, Ton-That said that it “did not expose any personally identifiable information, search history, or biometric identifiers” and added that the company has “done a full forensic audit of the host to confirm no other unauthorized access occurred,” which suggests that Hussein was the only one to access the misconfigured server. The secret keys exposed by the server have also been changed so they no longer work.


theverge--2020-04-17--Bill Gates is now the leading target for coronavirus conspiracies, says report

Bill Gates is now the favorite target for coronavirus misinformation according to data compiled by the New York Times and Zignal Labs , a company that analyzes media sources .
Conspiracy theories conflating Gates with the virus were mentioned 1.2 million times on TV and social media from February to April , 33 percent more often than the 2nd most popular conspiracy theory linking 5G with COVID-19 , according to Zignal Labs , peaking at 18,000 mentions a day in April .
Hoaxes directed at the Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist , are all over YouTube , Facebook , and Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts on Facebook this year that were liked and commented on nearly 900,000 times .
The 10 most popular Youtube videos spreading misinformation about Gates and the virus were viewed almost five millions times in March and April .
The falsehoods being spread vary , but range from him creating COVID-19 in order to profit from a vaccine , or of Gates being a member of a plot to cull humanity and/or implement a global surveillance system .
A Bill Gates speech from 2015 , where he warns that the greatest threat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war , has received 25 million new views in recent weeks .
According to the New York Times , anti-vaxxers , right-wing pundits , and members of the conspiracy group QAnon claim the video is evidence of Gates ’ dastardly plan to use a pandemic for his personal gain .
Gates has long been an outspoken critic of President Trump Gates has long been an outspoken critic of President Trump .
On Wednesday , he said Trump ’ s decision to defund WHO was “ as dangerous as it sounds , ” although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president by name .
Gates also criticized the administration in a recent op-ed , saying “ There ’ s no question the United States missed the opportunity to get ahead of the novel coronavirus.
” Although Gates refused to comment on his new-found notoriety , Mark Suzman , chief executive of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , told the NYT that it was “ distressing that there are people spreading misinformation when we should all be looking for ways to collaborate and save lives .
”

Bill Gates is now the favorite target for coronavirus misinformation according to data compiled by the New York Times and Zignal Labs, a company that analyzes media sources. Conspiracy theories conflating Gates with the virus were mentioned 1.2 million times on TV and social media from February to April, 33 percent more often than the 2nd most popular conspiracy theory linking 5G with COVID-19, according to Zignal Labs, peaking at 18,000 mentions a day in April.
Hoaxes directed at the Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist, are all over YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. The New York Times found 16,000 posts on Facebook this year that were liked and commented on nearly 900,000 times. The 10 most popular Youtube videos spreading misinformation about Gates and the virus were viewed almost five millions times in March and April. The falsehoods being spread vary, but range from him creating COVID-19 in order to profit from a vaccine, or of Gates being a member of a plot to cull humanity and/or implement a global surveillance system.
A Bill Gates speech from 2015, where he warns that the greatest threat to humanity is infectious disease, not nuclear war, has received 25 million new views in recent weeks. According to the New York Times, anti-vaxxers, right-wing pundits, and members of the conspiracy group QAnon claim the video is evidence of Gates’ dastardly plan to use a pandemic for his personal gain.
Gates has long been an outspoken critic of President Trump
Gates has long been an outspoken critic of President Trump. On Wednesday, he said Trump’s decision to defund WHO was “as dangerous as it sounds,” although he didn’t call out the president by name. Gates also criticized the administration in a recent op-ed, saying “There’s no question the United States missed the opportunity to get ahead of the novel coronavirus.”