theverge--2020-05-15--Tech companies’ work from home policies have some workers ready to flee Silicon Valley

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Live in Silicon Valley long enough and someone will tell you that the party is over .
As far as I can tell , this phenomenon dates back to at least 1874 .
As Peter Hartlaub recounted last year in the San Francisco Chronicle , upon the occasion of a writer for the Washington Post announcing that San Francisco had broken her heart , that was the first time a citizen had lamented the region ’ s vanished glory days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s heartbreak : the construction of the Palace Hotel , which he viewed as too tall and a blight on the skyline at 120 feet . )
San Francisco and its surrounding tech hub have continued to die ever since , most spectacularly during the dot-com crash , but certainly well before then , too .
( Here , via Andreessen Horowitz partner David Ulevitch , is the founder of onetime search giant AltaVista announcing that Silicon Valley was dead in 1993 .
“ The cost of housing and office space has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
In 1993 . )
But then again , San Francisco really has been in a state of crisis for the past decade , thanks to the regional refusal to build adequate housing .
And now it has another , global crisis to worry about : the COVID-19 pandemic , which is upending plans and expectations everywhere — but particularly for people who need only a laptop and Wi-Fi connection to be productive , and can therefore easily move away .
This has been encouraged by the tech companies themselves .
First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work from home until June .
Then Facebook told employees they could work from home through the end of 2020 .
And then finally this week Twitter said what everyone had been thinking anyway , and just told employees they could work from home indefinitely , portending the glorious day in the future when the company will be forced to acknowledge it has hundreds of employees on the payroll who haven ’ t showed up for years .
( I should note that I made this joke on Twitter and that the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let this happen . )
But as a result of the past week ’ s WFH fervor , the more opportunistic residents of Silicon Valley are beginning to think about the arbitrage opportunities .
It is not a particularly complicated scheme to work out .
You take your mid-six-figure Bay Area salary and your laptop .
You decamp with your family to the countryside , or the mountains , or the beach .
Maybe you simply ride out the hard times there , maybe you stay forever .
Already in my weekend and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cross-country moves — maybe just for a few months , maybe longer .
Multiply their experiences by several thousand , and this time Silicon Valley really might find itself changed forever .
In Bloomberg , Sarah Frier talks to some of the folks considering the jump .
Of course , it ’ s not just the jobs that lure people to San Francisco : it ’ s the restaurants , the nightlife , the sports teams , the other cultural amenities .
With those all shuttered for the foreseeable future , the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tech companies were keen to keep workers close by , they might incentivize them by radically re-thinking offices in a way that made them more appealing .
Some have speculated that COVID-19 , which spreads easily among people in close contact with one another for extended periods , might mean the end of the open-plan office .
But reading early ideas about how to bring employees back to work , the pandemic seems to herald the end of much more .
Chip Cutter and Suzanne Vranica examined plans for re-opening offices around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and what they describe sound less like offices and more like torture chambers for white-collar workers .
Here they are in the Wall Street Journal : Of course , some workers will need to stick close to headquarters to attend to servers and the other physical infrastructure of running large internet companies .
But given the size of the workforce at tech giants like Apple , Google , and Facebook , these teams amount to skeleton crews .
Facebook has historically paid new hires a $ 10,000 bonus to live near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into an office like the ones described above ?
With more tech workers preparing to head for the hills , tech giants could have much to reconsider : preserving productivity , creativity , office culture , diversity , and inclusion ; taking a more expansive view of recruiting ; and , inevitably , lowering salaries for those living outside the blast radius of the Bay Area housing crisis .
How many people will really flee the Bay Area in the coming year ?
Will Silicon Valley finally be wounded in the manner that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At this early stage of the pandemic , the answer is still unknowable .
But as of this week , it is no longer unthinkable .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
⬇ An Amazon warehouse worker at a facility in Bethpage , NY has died from COVID-19 , the sixth known case of an employee to die fromthe pandemic .
( Annie Palmer / CNBC ) ⬇ Amazon , Target , and Kroger are all rescinding a $ 2 raise given to workers putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
( Anders Melin and Ben Steverman / Bloomberg ) Total cases in the US : More than 1,397,700 Total deaths in the US : At least 84,100 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New York : 1,258,907 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New Jersey : 441,450 Data from The New York Times .
Test data from The COVID Tracking Project .
⭐ TikTok hasn ’ t made good on its promise to the Federal Trade Commission to protect the privacy of children on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 children ’ s and consumer groups .
As part of the agreement , the company said it would delete personal information of children under the age of 13 .
The complaint alleges the company hasn ’ t done that .
Here ’ s Natasha Singer at The New York Times : The Senate voted to reauthorize the Freedom Act , bringing the surveillance bill closer to becoming law .
Lawmakers also shot down a proposal that would have restricted warrantless collection of internet search and web browsing data .
( Adi Robertson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward with its controversial tech tax after offering to delay it earlier this year .
The law requires tech companies to pay a 3 percent tax on total annual revenue generated by providing services to French users .
The country ’ s finance minister noted that tech companies are doing better than most during the coronavirus crisis .
( Leigh Thomas / Reuters ) Amazon is suing two companies for “ widespread tech support fraud , ” alleging that they tricked new users of Echo speakers into paying for purported technical support .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had encountered frustrating technical glitches .
( Todd Bishop / GeekWire ) Amazon is quietly fighting a new facial recognition law in Portland , Oregon .
The proposed legislation would outright ban the use of the technology by government and private entities , and threaten a range of businesses that sell and use the technology in the city .
( Kate Kaye / OneZero ) A sketchy company headquartered in Malaysia has been selling face masks at wildly inflated prices through ads on Facebook .
The social platform has banned mask ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enforce .
( Craig Silverman / BuzzFeed ) Researchers at Stanford released a study saying that coronavirus might only be as deadly as the seasonal flu .
The study was widely criticized by academics , but still gained traction among right wing groups protesting social distancing measures .
( Aleszu Bajak and Jeff Howe / The New York Times ) American conspiracy theories like QAnon are entering a dangerous new phase : one that is essentially religious in nature .
Here ’ s where QAnon came from , and why it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Part of a big new package from the Atlantic on the rise of conspiracy theories in the United States .
( Adrienne LaFrance / The Atlantic ) A new piece of misinformation about COVID-19 is spreading : that fears of the pandemic are overblown because in 1969 , the Woodstock music festival was held during a flu pandemic .
( Ryan Broderick / BuzzFeed ) Cynthia Hogan , Apple ’ s vice president for public policy , is leaving the company after being tapped by the Biden campaign for the vice presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ / Axios ) The US Postal Service is quietly reviewing its package delivery contracts weeks before a Republican donor becomes postmaster general .
Among other things , the Postal Service is expected to reexamine what it charges Amazon to carry packages .
( Jacob Bogage and Josh Dawsey / The Washington Post ) ⭐Facebook is teaming up with some of the world ’ s largest telecom carriers including China Mobile Ltd. to build a giant sub-sea cable to help bring more reliable internet across Africa .
The project will cost just under $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prinsloo , and Thomas Seal at Bloomberg have the story : Fans are using Zoom to connect with people they ’ ve never met before .
Fans have been hosting listening parties , watch parties , crafting groups , book clubs , and virtual concerts online using the videoconferencing app .
( Aliya Chaudhry / The Verge ) With the influencer economy down , creators are turning to OnlyFans as a way to earn money during the pandemic .
What does that mean for professional online sex workers ?
( Claire Downs / @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fan helped make “ Plandemic ” go viral .
He laid out his plan to make Judy Mikovits famous in an unlisted YouTube video from last month .
He also has deep ties to the anti-vaxx world .
( Anna Merlan / Vice ) Animal Crossing is home to some of 2020 ’ s best late-night talk shows .
It has created what Stephen Colbert , Jimmy Kimmel , and Jimmy Fallon can not : a live set , complete with musical guests , comedians , and personalities , gathered in one room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Last week , Alphabet abandoned plans for an experimental smart city in Toronto .
The project echoes a failed sci-fi utopia in Minnesota , a project conceived by an oceanographer and comic-strip artist .
( Adi Robertson / The Verge ) Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Watch HBO with friends using Scener , which gives subscribers the ability to watch TV together .
The online video chatting tool already has a deal with Netflix to allow people to watch movies and shows with friends .
Listen to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new podcast from brilliant historian and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore .
The series ’ goal is to answer the question : who killed truth ?
Listen to the trailer for Boom/Bust : HQ Trivia , a new podcast from The Ringer about the rise and fall of the once-hot quiz show .
The first episode drops soon .
Download Grand Theft Auto V for free on the Epic Games store .
The store buckled under the weight of downloads on Thursday , but the game is free through May 21st .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Much Ado About Nothing .
The New York Times gave it a rave last year , and it can now be seen for free on PBS.org .
In the New Yorker , Jeremy Beiler imagines Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos writing a letter titled “ Now is the time to cherish the little things.
” At Amazon , we have a saying .
It goes , “ More more more more more more more more more more more gim me gim me gim me gim me gim me more more more more more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more more more more come in here and close the door Seth I want it done today Seth more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more.
” My advice to you : even though you ’ re stuck at home , try to find more .
More to cherish , more to learn , more to discover .
Take up a new hobby .
Fly your drone into a cloud and see if you can find it again .
Sue someone who doesn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yacht just to watch how the water swirls .
Tell your V.P .
of distribution to kill a cow and see if he ’ ll actually do it .
If you ’ re still going a little stir-crazy , why not stay in a different one of your houses every night of the week ?
We ’ ve all got to get creative here .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and your San Francisco escape plan : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

Live in Silicon Valley long enough and someone will tell you that the party is over. As far as I can tell, this phenomenon dates back to at least 1874. As Peter Hartlaub recounted last year in the San Francisco Chronicle, upon the occasion of a writer for the Washington Post announcing that San Francisco had broken her heart, that was the first time a citizen had lamented the region’s vanished glory days. (The reason for the citizen’s heartbreak: the construction of the Palace Hotel, which he viewed as too tall and a blight on the skyline at 120 feet.)
San Francisco and its surrounding tech hub have continued to die ever since, most spectacularly during the dot-com crash, but certainly well before then, too. (Here, via Andreessen Horowitz partner David Ulevitch, is the founder of onetime search giant AltaVista announcing that Silicon Valley was dead in 1993. “The cost of housing and office space has spiraled out of control, Paul Flaherty wrote. In 1993.)
But then again, San Francisco really has been in a state of crisis for the past decade, thanks to the regional refusal to build adequate housing. And now it has another, global crisis to worry about: the COVID-19 pandemic, which is upending plans and expectations everywhere — but particularly for people who need only a laptop and Wi-Fi connection to be productive, and can therefore easily move away.
This has been encouraged by the tech companies themselves. First Google told employees they could continue to work from home until June. Then Facebook told employees they could work from home through the end of 2020. And then finally this week Twitter said what everyone had been thinking anyway, and just told employees they could work from home indefinitely, portending the glorious day in the future when the company will be forced to acknowledge it has hundreds of employees on the payroll who haven’t showed up for years. (I should note that I made this joke on Twitter and that the company’s head of finance operations vowed not to let this happen.)
But as a result of the past week’s WFH fervor, the more opportunistic residents of Silicon Valley are beginning to think about the arbitrage opportunities. It is not a particularly complicated scheme to work out. You take your mid-six-figure Bay Area salary and your laptop. You decamp with your family to the countryside, or the mountains, or the beach. Maybe you simply ride out the hard times there, maybe you stay forever. Already in my weekend and off-hand Zoom calls, friends are plotting cross-country moves — maybe just for a few months, maybe longer. Multiply their experiences by several thousand, and this time Silicon Valley really might find itself changed forever.
In Bloomberg, Sarah Frier talks to some of the folks considering the jump.
Sachin Dhar thought he and his fiancée had a great deal paying $2,650 per month for a one-bedroom rental in South San Francisco, a short commute from Facebook Inc.’s offices in Menlo Park, where she works. But when the social networking company announced that most employees would be working from home until the end of the year, their calculation changed. “It makes no sense paying Bay Area rent if we can earn our salary living elsewhere,” says Dhar, 25, who already works remotely for a New York advertising startup. They’re considering moving to Hawaii—or, to really save money, somewhere in the rural U.S. Dylan Hecklau is thinking along the same lines. His ad-tech employer, Jelli Inc., was dubious about letting people work from home before the pandemic hit. Now that employees have proven productive, its attitude has changed. Hecklau, 32, is planning to take the money he would have spent on a Lake Tahoe vacation home and make a down payment on a permanent home in Sacramento, abandoning his $3,200-a-month rental in San Francisco. “With nothing keeping me here, I can’t justify paying the rent prices,” he says.
Of course, it’s not just the jobs that lure people to San Francisco: it’s the restaurants, the nightlife, the sports teams, the other cultural amenities. With those all shuttered for the foreseeable future, the city loses much of its appeal.
If tech companies were keen to keep workers close by, they might incentivize them by radically re-thinking offices in a way that made them more appealing. Some have speculated that COVID-19, which spreads easily among people in close contact with one another for extended periods, might mean the end of the open-plan office.
But reading early ideas about how to bring employees back to work, the pandemic seems to herald the end of much more. Chip Cutter and Suzanne Vranica examined plans for re-opening offices around the world in anticipation of work restrictions easing, and what they describe sound less like offices and more like torture chambers for white-collar workers. Here they are in the Wall Street Journal:
Elevators may only take one person at a time. Desks, once tightly packed in open floor plans, will be spread apart, with some covered by plastic shields and chairs atop disposable pads to catch germs. The beer taps, snack containers, coffee bars and elaborate gyms and showers that once set high-dollar, white-collar environments apart will likely remain closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Many changes won’t go away until the virus does. [...] McCann’s New York office will close its bar and cafeteria for the rest of 2020. Instead, the company has ordered dozens of microwaves and refrigerators so people can bring in their lunch. The appliances will go in enlarged kitchen areas being erected on every floor. Nobody will need an elevator to access food, and everyone will be expected to use the cleaning supplies stationed nearby to wipe down communal buttons and door handles.
Of course, some workers will need to stick close to headquarters to attend to servers and the other physical infrastructure of running large internet companies. But given the size of the workforce at tech giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook, these teams amount to skeleton crews. Facebook has historically paid new hires a $10,000 bonus to live near the office. But who wants to go into an office like the ones described above?
With more tech workers preparing to head for the hills, tech giants could have much to reconsider: preserving productivity, creativity, office culture, diversity, and inclusion; taking a more expansive view of recruiting; and, inevitably, lowering salaries for those living outside the blast radius of the Bay Area housing crisis. How many people will really flee the Bay Area in the coming year? Will Silicon Valley finally be wounded in the manner that so many skeptics have long predicted?
At this early stage of the pandemic, the answer is still unknowable. But as of this week, it is no longer unthinkable.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
Virus tracker
Total cases in the US: More than 1,397,700
Total deaths in the US: At least 84,100
Reported cases in California: 73,218
Total test results (positive and negative) in California: 1,065,592
Reported cases in New York: 345,828
Total test results (positive and negative) in New York: 1,258,907
Reported cases in New Jersey: 141,560
Total test results (positive and negative) in New Jersey: 441,450
Reported cases in Illinois: 84,874
Total test results (positive and negative) in Illinois: 489,359
Governing
⭐ TikTok hasn’t made good on its promise to the Federal Trade Commission to protect the privacy of children on the service, according to a coalition of 20 children’s and consumer groups. As part of the agreement, the company said it would delete personal information of children under the age of 13. The complaint alleges the company hasn’t done that. Here’s Natasha Singer at The New York Times:
The groups also identified problems with age verification for younger users. Last year, the app set up a service for children under 13, TikTok for Younger Users, which prevents them from posting videos and does not collect their personal data. But the complaint said a child who initially registered for a TikTok account for younger users could instantly delete it and sign up for an over-13 account on the same mobile device simply by using a fake birth date.
The Senate voted to reauthorize the Freedom Act, bringing the surveillance bill closer to becoming law. Lawmakers also shot down a proposal that would have restricted warrantless collection of internet search and web browsing data. (Adi Robertson / The Verge)
France is moving forward with its controversial tech tax after offering to delay it earlier this year. The law requires tech companies to pay a 3 percent tax on total annual revenue generated by providing services to French users. The country’s finance minister noted that tech companies are doing better than most during the coronavirus crisis. (Leigh Thomas / Reuters)
Amazon is suing two companies for “widespread tech support fraud,” alleging that they tricked new users of Echo speakers into paying for purported technical support. The scheme was designed to convince people they had encountered frustrating technical glitches. (Todd Bishop / GeekWire)
Amazon is quietly fighting a new facial recognition law in Portland, Oregon. The proposed legislation would outright ban the use of the technology by government and private entities, and threaten a range of businesses that sell and use the technology in the city. (Kate Kaye / OneZero)
A sketchy company headquartered in Malaysia has been selling face masks at wildly inflated prices through ads on Facebook. The social platform has banned mask ads, but the rules have been hard to enforce. (Craig Silverman / BuzzFeed)
Researchers at Stanford released a study saying that coronavirus might only be as deadly as the seasonal flu. The study was widely criticized by academics, but still gained traction among right wing groups protesting social distancing measures. (Aleszu Bajak and Jeff Howe / The New York Times)
The US Postal Service is quietly reviewing its package delivery contracts weeks before a Republican donor becomes postmaster general. Among other things, the Postal Service is expected to reexamine what it charges Amazon to carry packages. (Jacob Bogage and Josh Dawsey / The Washington Post)
Industry
⭐Facebook is teaming up with some of the world’s largest telecom carriers including China Mobile Ltd. to build a giant sub-sea cable to help bring more reliable internet across Africa. The project will cost just under $1 billion. Angelina Rascouet, Loni Prinsloo, and Thomas Seal at Bloomberg have the story:
Facebook has long tried to lead the race to improve connectivity in Africa in a bid to take advantage of a young population, greater connectivity and the increasing availability and affordability of smartphones. The U.S. social-media giant attempted to launch a satellite in 2016 to beam signal around the continent, but the SpaceX rocket carrying the technology blew up on the launchpad. Google announced its own sub-sea cable connecting Europe to Africa last year, using a route down the west coast.
Fans are using Zoom to connect with people they’ve never met before. Fans have been hosting listening parties, watch parties, crafting groups, book clubs, and virtual concerts online using the videoconferencing app. (Aliya Chaudhry / The Verge)
With the influencer economy down, creators are turning to OnlyFans as a way to earn money during the pandemic. What does that mean for professional online sex workers? (Claire Downs / Elle)
An ex-Google employee and QAnon fan helped make “Plandemic” go viral. He laid out his plan to make Judy Mikovits famous in an unlisted YouTube video from last month. He also has deep ties to the anti-vaxx world. (Anna Merlan / Vice)
Animal Crossing is home to some of 2020’s best late-night talk shows. It has created what Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon cannot: a live set, complete with musical guests, comedians, and personalities, gathered in one room. (Megan Farokhmanesh / The Verge)
Last week, Alphabet abandoned plans for an experimental smart city in Toronto. The project echoes a failed sci-fi utopia in Minnesota, a project conceived by an oceanographer and comic-strip artist. (Adi Robertson / The Verge)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Watch HBO with friends using Scener, which gives subscribers the ability to watch TV together. The online video chatting tool already has a deal with Netflix to allow people to watch movies and shows with friends.
Listen to the first episode of the Last Archive, a new podcast from brilliant historian and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore. The series’ goal is to answer the question: who killed truth?
Listen to the trailer for Boom/Bust: HQ Trivia, a new podcast from The Ringer about the rise and fall of the once-hot quiz show. The first episode drops soon.
Download Grand Theft Auto V for free on the Epic Games store. The store buckled under the weight of downloads on Thursday, but the game is free through May 21st.
Those good tweets
And finally...
In the New Yorker, Jeremy Beiler imagines Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos writing a letter titled “Now is the time to cherish the little things.”
At Amazon, we have a saying. It goes, “More more more more more more more more more more more gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more come in here and close the door Seth I want it done today Seth more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more.” My advice to you: even though you’re stuck at home, try to find more. More to cherish, more to learn, more to discover. Take up a new hobby. Fly your drone into a cloud and see if you can find it again. Sue someone who doesn’t have the resources to engage. Sink a yacht just to watch how the water swirls. Tell your V.P. of distribution to kill a cow and see if he’ll actually do it. If you’re still going a little stir-crazy, why not stay in a different one of your houses every night of the week? We’ve all got to get creative here.
Talk to us


theverge--2020-05-15--OnePlus’ 8 Pro has an accidental X-ray vision filter that sees through plastic and clothes

Well , here ’ s a camera trick we ’ ve not seen in a smartphone before : X-ray vision .
Or , at least , something that looks very much like it .
It ’ s a feature of the new OnePlus 8 Pro , which seems to use the phone ’ s infrared sensors to see through a small subset of black materials .
If you ’ ve got a OnePlus 8 Pro and want to try it out for yourself , just open up the camera app , swipe over to the “ Photochrom ” color filter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fair warning : we experimented with the filter ourselves and it really is quite selective .
It only works on very thin black plastic that ’ s already a little see-through in the right light .
Think things like TV remotes rather than the sturdier plastic of a high-end DSLR .
It ’ s also hit or miss with clothing .
We first saw this trick via Ben Geskin on Twitter ( above ) but lots of people have since demonstrated it .
There ’ s a great video from Unbox Therapy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in action , looking through an Apple TV box , a Switch remote , and even a thin black T-Shirt .
But how does it work ?
We ’ ve reached out to OnePlus to see what they know ( and confirm whether or not it was an intentional feature ) , but it seems the process relies on the phone ’ s infrared sensors , which collect a type of radiation that ’ s invisible to the human eye .
Infrared sits right above visible light in the electromagnetic spectrum , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radiation , ” because that ’ s how we feel its effects .
The world is saturated in infrared , but because we don ’ t see it , we don ’ t usually think about it .
About half of the energy that arrives on the Earth from the Sun arrives as infrared , for example .
Special types of equipment can capture infrared radiation , including night vision goggles and thermal cameras .
This allows you to see through certain materials , as infrared passes through them in a way visible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perceive ) can not .
Firefighters , for example , use infrared cameras to see through smoke into burning buildings .
As high-end phones start incorporating infrared sensors too , it seems they can be used for this same purpose .
And it ’ s not just the OnePlus 8 Pro that can do it .
The TrueDepth camera on recent iPhones , which use infrared light to scan your face for FaceID , can also be hijacked to create see-through images , as app developer Guilherme Rambo has demonstrated ( though it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this ) .
The question that remains is will this create trouble for OnePlus , especially if the filter can be used to see through clothing with all the privacy problems that entails .
In the Unbox Therapy video , it does seem like the filter can see through clothing , albeit in very limited conditions .
A Reddit user confirmed the same thing .
Depending on the severity of the problem , OnePlus might have to restrict the feature through a software update .
After all , there was a similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to recall a camcorder that included a night vision feature that could also be used to see through clothing .
Until then , enjoy looking inside your TV remote .
If you have an 8 Pro and have experimented with the feature , drop some pictures below .
We ’ ll update this story if and when we hear back from OnePlus .

Well, here’s a camera trick we’ve not seen in a smartphone before: X-ray vision. Or, at least, something that looks very much like it. It’s a feature of the new OnePlus 8 Pro, which seems to use the phone’s infrared sensors to see through a small subset of black materials.
If you’ve got a OnePlus 8 Pro and want to try it out for yourself, just open up the camera app, swipe over to the “Photochrom” color filter, and point it some black objects.
Fair warning: we experimented with the filter ourselves and it really is quite selective. It only works on very thin black plastic that’s already a little see-through in the right light. Think things like TV remotes rather than the sturdier plastic of a high-end DSLR. It’s also hit or miss with clothing.
We first saw this trick via Ben Geskin on Twitter (above) but lots of people have since demonstrated it. There’s a great video from Unbox Therapy (below) which shows the filter in action, looking through an Apple TV box, a Switch remote, and even a thin black T-Shirt.
But how does it work? We reached out to OnePlus to see what they know, but the company declined to comment. However, it seems the process relies on the phone’s infrared sensors, which collect a type of radiation that’s invisible to the human eye.
Infrared sits right below visible light in the electromagnetic spectrum, and is sometimes referred to as “heat radiation,” because that’s how we feel its effects. The world is saturated in infrared, but because we don’t see it, we don’t usually think about it. About half of the energy that arrives on the Earth from the Sun arrives as infrared, for example.
Special types of equipment can capture infrared radiation, including night vision goggles and thermal cameras. This allows you to see through certain materials, as infrared passes through them in a way visible light (which is all our eyes perceive) cannot. Firefighters, for example, use infrared cameras to see through smoke into burning buildings.
As high-end phones start incorporating infrared sensors too, it seems they can be used for this same purpose. And it’s not just the OnePlus 8 Pro that can do it. The TrueDepth camera on recent iPhones, which use infrared light to scan your face for FaceID, can also be hijacked to create see-through images, as app developer Guilherme Rambo has demonstrated (though it seems you need a jailbroken iPhone to do this).
The question that remains is will this create trouble for OnePlus, especially if the filter can be used to see through clothing with all the privacy problems that entails. In the Unbox Therapy video, it does seem like the filter can see through clothing, albeit in very limited conditions. A Reddit user confirmed the same thing.
Depending on the severity of the problem, OnePlus might have to restrict the feature through a software update. After all, there was a similar scandal in the 1990s when Sony was forced to recall a camcorder that included a night vision feature that could also be used to see through clothing.
Until then, enjoy looking inside your TV remote. If you have an 8 Pro and have experimented with the feature, drop some pictures below. We’ll update this story if and when we hear back from OnePlus.
Update May 15th, 2:14PM ET: Added that OnePlus declined to comment.


theverge--2020-05-14--Nintendo announces more SNES and NES games for Switch

Nintendo has announced the addition of four more games to its Switch Online subscription service .
Nintendo Switch Online lets you play Switch games over the internet as well as providing a library of free NES and SNES titles .
The additions for May include one NES game and three SNES games .
The NES game is Tecmo ’ s mythical action game Rygar , while the SNES additions include Natsume ’ s cult sci-fi western shooter Wild Guns and Jaleco ’ s overhead shooter Operation Logic Bomb .
The most notable game added to the service in this round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never released in the US — at least not in this form .
It ’ s a classic SNES puzzle game designed by the legendary Gunpei Yokoi , but outside Japan the game was titled Tetris Attack and its fantasy anime style was replaced by Nintendo characters from Yoshi ’ s Island .
Panel de Pon ’ s gameplay has nothing to do with Tetris , and subsequent spins on the formula were called Puzzle League ; various Nintendo properties like Pokémon , Animal Crossing , and Dr Mario have all featured in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Panel de Pon is the first time most people outside of Japan will be able to see where it all began .
All four games will be available through Nintendo Switch Online on May 20th .
This will bring the total number of games on the service to 82 .

Nintendo has announced the addition of four more games to its Switch Online subscription service. Nintendo Switch Online lets you play Switch games over the internet as well as providing a library of free NES and SNES titles.
The additions for May include one NES game and three SNES games. The NES game is Tecmo’s mythical action game Rygar, while the SNES additions include Natsume’s cult sci-fi western shooter Wild Guns and Jaleco’s overhead shooter Operation Logic Bomb.
The most notable game added to the service in this round is Panel de Pon, which was never released in the US — at least not in this form. It’s a classic SNES puzzle game designed by the legendary Gunpei Yokoi, but outside Japan the game was titled Tetris Attack and its fantasy anime style was replaced by Nintendo characters from Yoshi’s Island.
Panel de Pon’s gameplay has nothing to do with Tetris, and subsequent spins on the formula were called Puzzle League; various Nintendo properties like Pokémon, Animal Crossing, and Dr Mario have all featured in crossover titles. This Switch release of Panel de Pon is the first time most people outside of Japan will be able to see where it all began.


theverge--2020-05-15--Fitbit is reportedly planning to build ventilators to help treat COVID-19 patients

Fitbit , which makes fitness-tracking wearables , will be shifting supply chain resources to make emergency ventilators , Fitbit CEO James Park said to CNBC .
The ventilators will be used to help treat COVID-19 patients and could help bolster the national supply of the medical devices , which have been in need during the pandemic .
“ There was a lot of concern about the shortage of ventilators and we realized we had expertise already around the supply chain , ” Park said to CNBC .
Fitbit plans to submit the designs for the ventilator to the FDA under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submit the designs for its ventilator to the Food and Drug Administration under an emergency use authorization “ in the coming days , ” according to CNBC .
An emergency use authorization is exactly what it sounds like : it allows a medical device or product that hasn ’ t been officially approved by the FDA to be used to treat a life-threatening disease .
Park aims for the ventilators to be the “ most advanced ” emergency user ventilator available for a “ lower ” cost , but that a price hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNBC .
Most ventilators cost thousands of dollars , and high-end ones can cost as much at $ 50,000 .
A Fitbit spokesperson declined to give more details to The Verge .
A number of organizations have contributed manufacturing resources to make ventilators .
GM and Ford have offered manufacturing space to some ventilator companies to help them produce more units .
NASA developed a ventilator designed specifically for COVID-19 patients ; the ventilator received emergency use authorization on April 30th , meaning it can enter production .
Phone accessory maker Belkin has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the University of Illinois which is under review for an emergency use authorization .
And Tesla is developing a new ventilator that repurposes parts used in Tesla ’ s cars .

Fitbit, which makes fitness-tracking wearables, will be shifting supply chain resources to make emergency ventilators, Fitbit CEO James Park said to CNBC. The ventilators will be used to help treat COVID-19 patients and could help bolster the national supply of the medical devices, which have been in need during the pandemic.
“There was a lot of concern about the shortage of ventilators and we realized we had expertise already around the supply chain,” Park said to CNBC.
Fitbit plans to submit the designs for the ventilator to the FDA under an emergency use authorization
Fitbit plans to submit the designs for its ventilator to the Food and Drug Administration under an emergency use authorization “in the coming days,” according to CNBC. An emergency use authorization is exactly what it sounds like: it allows a medical device or product that hasn’t been officially approved by the FDA to be used to treat a life-threatening disease.
Park aims for the ventilators to be the “most advanced” emergency user ventilator available for a “lower” cost, but that a price hasn’t been determined, according to CNBC. Most ventilators cost thousands of dollars, and high-end ones can cost as much at $50,000. A Fitbit spokesperson declined to give more details to The Verge.


theverge--2020-05-15--Facebook’s Giphy acquisition sounds antitrust alarms in Congress

A bipartisan group of senators are sounding the antitrust enforcement alarm Friday over Facebook ’ s newly announced acquisition of Giphy , a GIF-making and sharing website .
On Friday , Facebook announced that it would acquire Giphy for the reported price of $ 400 million .
Giphy is one of the largest GIF sites on the internet and social media and messaging services like Twitter , Tinder , Slack and iMessage already have Giphy integrated into their apps .
In a Friday blog post , Facebook said that half of Giphy ’ s traffic comes from Facebook apps and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Instagram , a Facebook-owned product .
In that same post , Facebook suggested that Giphy ’ s core function as a GIF-sharing app across social media would not change and that developers would “ continue to have the same access ” to its services .
“ Facebook keeps looking for even more ways to take our data.
” Still , that pledge hasn ’ t quieted the growing chorus of congresspeople concerned over potential anti-competitive behavior from Facebook .
In statements Friday , Republican Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-MO ) and Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) were skeptical of the deal .
“ Facebook keeps looking for even more ways to take our data , ” Hawley said in a statement to The Verge .
“ Just like Google purchased DoubleClick because of its widespread presence on the internet and ability to collect data , Facebook wants Giphy so it can collect even more data on us .
Facebook shouldn ’ t be acquiring any companies while it is under antitrust investigation for its past purchases.
” Over the last few weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) and Rep. David Cicilline ( D-RI ) have called for heightened scrutiny over large corporate mergers amid the novel coronavirus pandemic .
Warren and Ocasio-Cortez announced plans to introduce the “ Pandemic Anti-Monopoly Act ” that would impose a moratorium on large mergers until the Federal Trade Commission “ determines that small businesses , workers , and consumers ” were “ no longer under severe financial distress.
” In a statement Friday , a Warren spokesperson pushed for the passage of this bill in light of Facebook ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s acquisition is yet another example of a giant company using the pandemic to further consolidate power - this time it ’ s a company with a history of privacy violations gaining more control over online communications , ” the Warren spokesperson said .
Earlier this week , Klobuchar signed onto a letter with Warren and Cicilline to the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department requesting that they halt all mergers between large companies that received “ bailout ” funding from Congress ’ coronavirus relief packages .
Klobuchar said in statement Friday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Trade Commission must investigate this proposed deal.
” “ Unfortunately , these ideas are part and parcel of the latent socialism embraced by many modern Democrats.
” Klobuchar continued , “ Many companies , including some of Facebook ’ s rivals , rely on Giphy ’ s library of shareable content and other services , so I am very concerned about this proposed acquisition.
” Republicans have largely pushed back on the Democrats ’ calls for a merger moratorium .
In a letter earlier this week , Republicans asked the Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antitrust enforcement during the pandemic .
“ Unfortunately , these ideas are part and parcel of the latent socialism embraced by many modern Democrats , which represents an existential threat to America ’ s economic superiority , ” the Republicans wrote .
Makan Delrahim , the Justice Department ’ s top antitrust enforcer , told CNBC Wednesday that it would be “ misguided to just block all attempts for transactions .
”

A bipartisan group of senators are sounding the antitrust enforcement alarm Friday over Facebook’s newly announced acquisition of Giphy, a GIF-making and sharing website.
On Friday, Facebook announced that it would acquire Giphy for the reported price of $400 million. Giphy is one of the largest GIF sites on the internet and social media and messaging services like Twitter, Tinder, Slack and iMessage already have Giphy integrated into their apps.
In a Friday blog post, Facebook said that half of Giphy’s traffic comes from Facebook apps and that the gif website would be rolled into Instagram, a Facebook-owned product. In that same post, Facebook suggested that Giphy’s core function as a GIF-sharing app across social media would not change and that developers would “continue to have the same access” to its services.
“Facebook keeps looking for even more ways to take our data.”
Still, that pledge hasn’t quieted the growing chorus of congresspeople concerned over potential anti-competitive behavior from Facebook. In statements Friday, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Democrats Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) were skeptical of the deal.
“Facebook keeps looking for even more ways to take our data,” Hawley said in a statement to The Verge. “Just like Google purchased DoubleClick because of its widespread presence on the internet and ability to collect data, Facebook wants Giphy so it can collect even more data on us. Facebook shouldn’t be acquiring any companies while it is under antitrust investigation for its past purchases.”
Over the last few weeks, Democrats like Warren, Klobuchar, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) have called for heightened scrutiny over large corporate mergers amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Warren and Ocasio-Cortez announced plans to introduce the “Pandemic Anti-Monopoly Act” that would impose a moratorium on large mergers until the Federal Trade Commission “determines that small businesses, workers, and consumers” were “no longer under severe financial distress.”
In a statement Friday, a Warren spokesperson pushed for the passage of this bill in light of Facebook’s Giphy purchase. “Facebook’s acquisition is yet another example of a giant company using the pandemic to further consolidate power - this time it’s a company with a history of privacy violations gaining more control over online communications,” the Warren spokesperson said.
Earlier this week, Klobuchar signed onto a letter with Warren and Cicilline to the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department requesting that they halt all mergers between large companies that received “bailout” funding from Congress’ coronavirus relief packages. Klobuchar said in statement Friday that the “Department of Justice or the Federal Trade Commission must investigate this proposed deal.”
“Unfortunately, these ideas are part and parcel of the latent socialism embraced by many modern Democrats.”
Klobuchar continued, “Many companies, including some of Facebook’s rivals, rely on Giphy’s library of shareable content and other services, so I am very concerned about this proposed acquisition.”
Republicans have largely pushed back on the Democrats’ calls for a merger moratorium. In a letter earlier this week, Republicans asked the Justice Department and FTC to refuse any changes to antitrust enforcement during the pandemic. “Unfortunately, these ideas are part and parcel of the latent socialism embraced by many modern Democrats, which represents an existential threat to America’s economic superiority,” the Republicans wrote.


theverge--2020-05-15--Go read this BuzzFeed News story about GrubHub’s controversial phone ordering fees

GrubHub has come under intense scrutiny of late for what critics and some restaurant owners say are exploitative fees made only worse during the coronavirus pandemic .
Now , a revealing BuzzFeed News story has shed light on another controversial yet longtime practice around phone ordering .
The company , which also owns the Seamless and Eat24 services and is the largest food ordering platform in the US , uses an assortment of fees to collect revenue from restaurants , ranging from fees for marketing to various commissions on orders made through the web and its app .
But as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ method GrubHub uses to extract money from small businesses involves putting its own custom phone number on business pages that redirects calls to the partner restaurant .
That way , when a customer thinks they ’ re calling the restaurant directly , they ’ re instead calling GrubHub first , which allows the company to then charge that business a fee .
Even if a customer doesn ’ t end up ordering something , GrubHub still collects more than $ 6 in some cases just for the phone call , BuzzFeed reports .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ realize when they google the phone number for a restaurant , 9 times out of 10 , they ’ re pulling up GrubHub ’ s forwarding number for that restaurant , ” Justin Brannan , a New York City Council member , told BuzzFeed .
“ In peacetime , it ’ s devious .
In wartime , it ’ s just ugly greed.
” The New York City Council passed a bill on Wednesday outlawing charges for phone calls in which a transaction doesn ’ t take place and capping the fees food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency .
This particular practice is a long-running one GrubHub put in place when the company was founded more than 15 years ago and phone ordering was a far more prominent way to use its services , before many restaurants had websites and before the advent of the modern mobile app .
It joins a series of other controversial practices , including creating fake restaurant websites and listing restaurants on its platforms that never agreed to partner with GrubHub , that have given GrubHub and its subsidiaries a controversial reputation in the restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partnership with GrubHub , also replaces phone numbers on the pages for restaurants on its site and mobile app , as a Vice report from last August revealed .
But as BuzzFeed points out , even though restaurants are allowed to use their own phone numbers on their GrubHub account pages , the GrubHub-created numbers can sometimes rank higher in search results .
GrubHub defends the practice , which it ’ s getting sued over , with Grubhub CEO Matt Maloney saying in an investor call last year , “ We believe this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and driving the order , we should collect a commission .
This has been our policy for years and is explicitly laid out in our restaurant contracts.
” Some business owners disagree .
Check out BuzzFeed ’ s story here for interviews with quite a few restauranteurs who feel like GrubHub is constantly fleecing them with fees and making it even harder to operate during the pandemic .

GrubHub has come under intense scrutiny of late for what critics and some restaurant owners say are exploitative fees made only worse during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, a revealing BuzzFeed News story has shed light on another controversial yet longtime practice around phone ordering.
The company, which also owns the Seamless and Eat24 services and is the largest food ordering platform in the US, uses an assortment of fees to collect revenue from restaurants, ranging from fees for marketing to various commissions on orders made through the web and its app.
But as BuzzFeed points out, a lesser known method GrubHub uses to extract money from small businesses involves putting its own custom phone number on business pages that redirects calls to the partner restaurant. That way, when a customer thinks they’re calling the restaurant directly, they’re instead calling GrubHub first, which allows the company to then charge that business a fee. Even if a customer doesn’t end up ordering something, GrubHub still collects more than $6 in some cases just for the phone call, BuzzFeed reports.
“In peacetime, it’s devious. In wartime, it’s just ugly greed.”
“Most people don’t even realize when they google the phone number for a restaurant, 9 times out of 10, they’re pulling up GrubHub’s forwarding number for that restaurant,” Justin Brannan, a New York City Council member, told BuzzFeed. “In peacetime, it’s devious. In wartime, it’s just ugly greed.” The New York City Council passed a bill on Wednesday outlawing charges for phone calls in which a transaction doesn’t take place and capping the fees food delivery apps charge restaurants during states of emergency.
This particular practice is a long-running one GrubHub put in place when the company was founded more than 15 years ago and phone ordering was a far more prominent way to use its services, before many restaurants had websites and before the advent of the modern mobile app. It joins a series of other controversial practices, including creating fake restaurant websites and listing restaurants on its platforms that never agreed to partner with GrubHub, that have given GrubHub and its subsidiaries a controversial reputation in the restaurant industry.
Yelp, thanks to a partnership with GrubHub, also replaces phone numbers on the pages for restaurants on its site and mobile app, as a Vice report from last August revealed. But as BuzzFeed points out, even though restaurants are allowed to use their own phone numbers on their GrubHub account pages, the GrubHub-created numbers can sometimes rank higher in search results.
GrubHub defends the practice, which it’s getting sued over, with Grubhub CEO Matt Maloney saying in an investor call last year, “We believe this is fair. If Grubhub is sourcing and driving the order, we should collect a commission. This has been our policy for years and is explicitly laid out in our restaurant contracts.”


theverge--2020-05-15--Panasonic resumes work at Tesla’s Nevada Gigafactory, but not in New York

Panasonic has resumed its work making battery cells at Tesla ’ s Gigafactory outside Reno , Nevada , the company tells The Verge .
But Panasonic will not return to work at Tesla ’ s Buffalo , New York solar panel factory this weekend as planned .
Mark Shima , president of Panasonic Solar North America ( PSNA ) , has told employees in emails obtained by The Verge that the company has to delay bringing workers back because the region the factory is in , Western New York , did not meet New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will NOT restart manufacturing on this Saturday , May 16th , ” Shima wrote in an email sent Thursday .
“ The new target date depends on the COVID-19 situation of Erie County and it will be announced from me in next several days.
” A Panasonic employee in Buffalo tested positive for COVID-19 in March Western New York has hit five of the seven criteria .
But in order to meet the requirements , the region needs a 14-day decline in net hospitalizations or to have an average of less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
Additionally , there needs to be 14 days of decline in hospital deaths — or , a three day average of fewer than five deaths .
Because Western New York hasn ’ t met these criteria , the stay-home order has been extended to May 28 .
If the region meets those final two criteria before then , Panasonic could be allowed to bring workers back .
Panasonic shut down operations at the New York factory in mid-March , and one of its employees later tested positive for COVID-19 , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last few weeks preparing its workers to return to the Buffalo factory , where its employees work alongside Tesla ’ s making solar panels and its solar roof .
The company even told workers that it petitioned the governor ’ s office to allow PSNA to open back up early , according to one of the emails — this effort seems to have been in vain .
Shima told employees in a May 9th email that the company is planning to space employees six feet apart , provide masks and wipes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line .
Panasonic announced earlier this year that it ’ s ending its relationship with Tesla at the New York factory .
It had previously said it would only employ workers there through the end of May , and planned to fully exit the factory by September .
One current employee told The Verge that PSNA has at least a month ’ s worth of work left to do inside the factory .
A spokesperson for Panasonic North America declined to comment on the delay at the New York factory .
Panasonic has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” at the Nevada Gigafactory , the spokesperson said .
Tesla has resumed operations there as well , as The Verge first reported earlier this week .
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak recently announced the first phase of the state ’ s plan to allow some businesses to reopen , which makes certain measures like face masks mandatory .
“ We are in regular communication with local and state officials , are following the state guidance for essential businesses , and have enacted robust health and safety protocol that include social distancing and special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , referring to resuming work at its Nevada plant .
“ [ Panasonic ] will always follow the laws and official direction from State and local government.
” It ’ s unclear if Tesla has resumed operations at the New York factory ; the company did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment .
Tesla recently reopened its Fremont , California car factory in violation of the local public health order there , before ultimately reaching an agreement with officials on a plan to get back to full production .
Tesla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are meant to stop the spread of the coronavirus “ fascist , ” and even said this week that he ’ d be willing to get arrested for violating the one in California as long as no other employees were arrested with him .
Shima struck a different tone in his email to employees on Thursday .
“ Please remember that one of the important policy of PSNA is compliance , ” he wrote .
“ PSNA will always follow the laws and official direction from State and local government , even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PSNA ’ s business activities .
”

Panasonic has resumed its work making battery cells at Tesla’s Gigafactory outside Reno, Nevada, the company tells The Verge. But Panasonic will not return to work at Tesla’s Buffalo, New York solar panel factory this weekend as planned.
Mark Shima, president of Panasonic Solar North America (PSNA), has told employees in emails obtained by The Verge that the company has to delay bringing workers back because the region the factory is in, Western New York, did not meet New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new criteria for reopening. “We will NOT restart manufacturing on this Saturday, May 16th,” Shima wrote in an email sent Thursday. “The new target date depends on the COVID-19 situation of Erie County and it will be announced from me in next several days.”
A Panasonic employee in Buffalo tested positive for COVID-19 in March
Western New York has hit five of the seven criteria. But in order to meet the requirements, the region needs a 14-day decline in net hospitalizations or to have an average of less than 15 new hospitalizations a day for three days. Additionally, there needs to be 14 days of decline in hospital deaths — or, a three day average of fewer than five deaths. Because Western New York hasn’t met these criteria, the stay-home order has been extended to May 28. If the region meets those final two criteria before then, Panasonic could be allowed to bring workers back.
Panasonic shut down operations at the New York factory in mid-March, and one of its employees later tested positive for COVID-19, as The Verge previously reported. PSNA spent the last few weeks preparing its workers to return to the Buffalo factory, where its employees work alongside Tesla’s making solar panels and its solar roof. The company even told workers that it petitioned the governor’s office to allow PSNA to open back up early, according to one of the emails — this effort seems to have been in vain. Shima told employees in a May 9th email that the company is planning to space employees six feet apart, provide masks and wipes, and put transparent shields on the production line.
Panasonic announced earlier this year that it’s ending its relationship with Tesla at the New York factory. It had previously said it would only employ workers there through the end of May, and planned to fully exit the factory by September. One current employee told The Verge that PSNA has at least a month’s worth of work left to do inside the factory.
A spokesperson for Panasonic North America declined to comment on the delay at the New York factory. Panasonic has been in a “steady ramp up” at the Nevada Gigafactory, the spokesperson said. Tesla has resumed operations there as well, as The Verge first reported earlier this week. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak recently announced the first phase of the state’s plan to allow some businesses to reopen, which makes certain measures like face masks mandatory.
“We are in regular communication with local and state officials, are following the state guidance for essential businesses, and have enacted robust health and safety protocol that include social distancing and special cleaning practices,” the Panasonic spokesperson said, referring to resuming work at its Nevada plant.
“[Panasonic] will always follow the laws and official direction from State and local government.”
It’s unclear if Tesla has resumed operations at the New York factory; the company did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment. Tesla recently reopened its Fremont, California car factory in violation of the local public health order there, before ultimately reaching an agreement with officials on a plan to get back to full production. Tesla CEO has called the shelter-in-place orders that are meant to stop the spread of the coronavirus “fascist,” and even said this week that he’d be willing to get arrested for violating the one in California as long as no other employees were arrested with him.


theverge--2020-05-15--Microsoft’s Surface Duo may not have great battery life

Microsoft ’ s Surface Duo is meant to be a showcase for its unique , dual-screen design , so it may be a bit more forgivable that its specs don ’ t include the latest and greatest components or anything all that ’ s impressive by way of battery life and storage .
According to Windows Central , the phone will ship with the older Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 ( which we knew last year when it was announced ) , a rather small 3,460mAh battery considering it ’ s powering two screens , and storage options of 64GB or 256GB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two 5.6-inch displays , which can rotate 360 degrees and transform it into an 8.3-inch tablet when unfolded , Windows Central says the device will pack 6GB of RAM , an 11-megapixel camera for both front-facing and rear-facing photos and videos , a fingerprint sensor for authentication , and a USB-C and Nano SIM slot .
Windows Central says the device will also ship with Android 10 , but will be updated to the upcoming Android 11 after launch .
The report says no NFC or wireless charging as of now .
Given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly won ’ t be the best or fastest phone out there when it launches sometime during the holiday season later this year .
But it just might be the one folding screen design that truly takes off , as Microsoft is building a Windows 10X-style skin for the version of Android the Duo will run to help it bridge the gap between a phone and a more modern , productivity-focused tablet .

Microsoft’s Surface Duo is meant to be a showcase for its unique, dual-screen design, so it may be a bit more forgivable that its specs don’t include the latest and greatest components or anything all that impressive by way of battery life and storage. According to Windows Central, the phone will ship with the older Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (which we knew last year when it was announced), a rather small 3,460mAh battery considering it’s powering two screens, and storage options of 64GB or 256GB.
Beyond the Duo’s signature two 5.6-inch displays, which can rotate 360 degrees and transform it into an 8.3-inch tablet when unfolded, Windows Central says the device will pack 6GB of RAM, an 11-megapixel camera for both front-facing and rear-facing photos and videos, a fingerprint sensor for authentication, and a USB-C and Nano SIM slot.


theverge--2020-05-15--The US government is getting ready to sue Google for monopolizing online ads

The Justice Department and a coalition of state attorneys general are likely to file antitrust charges against Google in the coming months , according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal .
The reporting is consistent with earlier statements by Attorney General William Barr , who said he expected a decision to be made sometime this summer .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton confirmed the general timeline in a statement to the Journal , saying he would “ hope to have the investigation wrapped up by fall , ” although he would not commit to whether charges would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the greatest efforts to regulate Google by the US government , with rare coordination between state and federal law enforcement .
Google has turned over more than 100,000 documents to investigators as part of the ongoing probe , and civil demands have been served to a number of related third parties .
Notably , the investigation does not include Justice Department antitrust chief Makan Delrahim , who has recused himself because of former lobbying work involving Google .
On a call with reporters on Thursday , Paxton said the primary focus was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online advertising network , the economic heart of the company .
“ We think Google has 7,000 data points on just about every human being alive , ” Paxton told reporters on the call .
“ They control the buy-side [ of online advertising ] , the sell-side and the market which we are concerned gives them way too much power.
” The investigation encompasses Google search because of its role in the ad business , but it does not involve the various platform moderation decisions made by Google on either YouTube or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative ire at perceived bias in Google ’ s moderation has become an important rallying point for Republicans , and it has stoked much of the political drive to prosecute the company .
Reached by The Verge , Google declined to speculate on the accuracy of the report .
“ We continue to engage with the ongoing investigations led by the Department of Justice and Attorney General Paxton , ” a representative said , “ and we don ’ t have any updates or comments on speculation.
” On the Thursday call , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are on a good path to completing our investigation , ” Paxton told reporters , “ and I think you ’ ll see things happening relatively soon.
” Update 5:33pm ET : Updated with statement from Google .

The Justice Department and a coalition of state attorneys general are likely to file antitrust charges against Google in the coming months, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal. The reporting is consistent with earlier statements by Attorney General William Barr, who said he expected a decision to be made sometime this summer.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton confirmed the general timeline in a statement to the Journal, saying he would “hope to have the investigation wrapped up by fall,” although he would not commit to whether charges would be filed.
US and EU investigations By Russell Brandom Guide to every US/EU regulatory investigation of a major tech company.
The investigation is one of the greatest efforts to regulate Google by the US government, with rare coordination between state and federal law enforcement. Google has turned over more than 100,000 documents to investigators as part of the ongoing probe, and civil demands have been served to a number of related third parties. Notably, the investigation does not include Justice Department antitrust chief Makan Delrahim, who has recused himself because of former lobbying work involving Google.
On a call with reporters on Thursday, Paxton said the primary focus was the broad reach of Google’s online advertising network, the economic heart of the company. “We think Google has 7,000 data points on just about every human being alive,” Paxton told reporters on the call. “They control the buy-side [of online advertising], the sell-side and the market which we are concerned gives them way too much power.”
The investigation encompasses Google search because of its role in the ad business, but it does not involve the various platform moderation decisions made by Google on either YouTube or the Google Play Store. Still, conservative ire at perceived bias in Google’s moderation has become an important rallying point for Republicans, and it has stoked much of the political drive to prosecute the company.
Reached by The Verge, Google declined to speculate on the accuracy of the report. “We continue to engage with the ongoing investigations led by the Department of Justice and Attorney General Paxton,” a representative said, “and we don’t have any updates or comments on speculation.”
On the Thursday call, Paxton said he expected more developments shortly. “We are on a good path to completing our investigation,” Paxton told reporters, “and I think you’ll see things happening relatively soon.”
Makena Kelly contributed additional reporting.


theverge--2020-05-15--US spending on video games just hit a new quarterly record

American consumers spent more this past quarter on video games than they ever have before , to the tune of $ 10.9 billion — up 9 percent from the year before , according to industry analyst NPD Group ( via Bloomberg ) .
The period covers only January to March , meaning spending in the current quarter ending June 30th might end up being just as high , if not higher .
Obviously , the main event in the back third of this quarter was the coronavirus pandemic , which reached American shores at the end of January and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to NPD , game sales and in-game microtransactions made up $ 9.6 billion of that $ 10.9 billion figure .
“ Top titles included Animal Crossing : New Horizons , Call of Duty : Modern Warfare , Doom Eternal , Dragon Ball Z : Kakarot , Fortnite , Grand Theft Auto V , Minecraft , MLB The Show 20 and NBA 2K20 , ” NPD reported .
On the console market side of things , Nintendo was the biggest winner : the company ’ s sales of the Switch offset purchasing declines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in total topped $ 770 million .
( And just speaking anecdotally , it ’ s nearly impossible right now to find a Switch , even if you want one , while few people are likely buying PlayStation or Xbox consoles with a new generation of devices due out this fall . )
While the pandemic has us all staying at home , it seems like a lot of people have decided to just game through it — myself included .

American consumers spent more this past quarter on video games than they ever have before, to the tune of $10.9 billion — up 9 percent from the year before, according to industry analyst NPD Group (via Bloomberg). The period covers only January to March, meaning spending in the current quarter ending June 30th might end up being just as high, if not higher.
Obviously, the main event in the back third of this quarter was the coronavirus pandemic, which reached American shores at the end of January and has kept the public indoors since mid-March. According to NPD, game sales and in-game microtransactions made up $9.6 billion of that $10.9 billion figure. “Top titles included Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Doom Eternal, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, MLB The Show 20 and NBA 2K20,” NPD reported.


theverge--2020-05-15--NASA announces international Artemis Accords to standardize how to explore the Moon

Today , NASA announced the creation of the Artemis Accords , a new set of standards on how to explore the Moon .
The agency hopes that other countries will agree to the terms , which lay out how humanity will act on the Moon , including how to mine resources from the lunar surface and ways to protect heritage Apollo sites .
The Artemis Accords , first reported by Reuters , are a reference to NASA ’ s Artemis program , an initiative to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024 .
NASA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wants the agency ’ s international partners to work with NASA to create a sustainable presence on and around the lunar surface .
However , NASA wants everyone to be on the same page in how they ’ ll behave when they reach the Moon .
“ When we go to the Moon , there ’ s a basic framework that we all agree on.
” “ When we go to the Moon , there ’ s a basic framework that we all agree on , ” Bridenstine said during a meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you agree on that framework , certainly , we would love to have you be part of the Artemis program.
” NASA worked with the State Department and the National Space Council to come up with these guidelines .
An international framework for exploring space already exists in the form of the Outer Space Treaty , which was signed and enacted in 1967 .
The treaty creates a series of loose guidelines for how nations are supposed to explore space .
For one , the exploration of space is supposed to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to put weapons of mass destruction up there .
It also restricts anyone from laying sovereign claim to an outer space body and ensures we don ’ t contaminate the places we explore .
However , the Outer Space Treaty is purposefully vague , and the Artemis Accords are meant to provide a little more structure around NASA ’ s plans for the Moon .
“ They ’ re really , really vague , ” Christopher Johnson , the space law advisor at the Secure World Foundation , tells The Verge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the corresponding interests of other states .
States shall prevent the harmful contamination of celestial bodies.
’ Now we ’ re going to find out what those phrases mean under Artemis in the context of lunar activities.
” The idea is to create an agreement without going through the standard treaty-making process , which can sometimes be slow .
Since NASA is squarely focused on getting to the Moon by 2024 , the need for speed is there .
“ We ’ re not going to wait to negotiate a treaty that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Johnson .
“ We believe we can go to the Moon and use resources there , so therefore we ’ re going to go to the Moon and use resources there .
And we ’ ll do so in a way that is in partnership with other countries.
” One thing the Accords would establish is something called “ safety zones , ” which would give potential explorers some room to work on the Moon , free of interference from other countries .
The Accords would also ensure that countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find on the Moon .
NASA has long touted its interest in mining water ice , thought to be lurking on the lunar surface , to use as drinking water or to create rocket fuel .
However , there ’ s been some debate over whether that ’ s acceptable , as the Outer Space Treaty argues that nations can not lay claim or own property in space .
“ Here if you sign up for Artemis , you will agree that states have the right to access and utilize space resources.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive order supporting the US ’ s ability to mine resources from the Moon and other bodies , arguing that it does not conflict with the Outer Space Treaty .
Now with these accords , NASA and the Trump administration want to take things a step further and get multiple countries to agree that this way of utilizing space resources is acceptable .
“ Here if you sign up for Artemis , you will agree that states have the right to access and utilize space resources , ” says Johnson .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s in compliance with the Outer Space Treaty , but here they ’ re going to come up with the particulars of it .
So if you go to the Moon , as part of Artemis , you can in fact use lunar dirt to build habitats.
” The agreement touches on other smaller logistical things such as making sure countries register the spacecraft they send to the Moon .
Countries that are part of the agreement will also agree to share data openly in the same way that NASA does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apollo landing sights would remain unharmed .
That might mean setting up landing pads on the Moon that would stop the spread of harmful lunar dust whenever a spacecraft touches down on the surface .
While Bridenstine says that some countries like Japan and Canada are interested in this approach , others might not be so happy about it .
Russia , for instance , was not pleased with the idea of the Artemis Accords when they were first reported ; Dmitry Rogozin , director general of Russia ’ s state space corporation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principle of invasion is the same , whether it be the Moon or Iraq.
” “ I think people are going to interpret it in a way that matches their preexisting ideology and understanding , ” says Johnson .
Still , NASA is hopeful that other countries will get on board with the Accords .
“ There will be transparency ; there ’ ll be reporting ; there ’ ll be registration ; that there will be on the surface of the Moon , as different countries are doing different things made in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all operate in a transparent , very clear way so that we can accomplish more , ” Bridenstine said .
“ That ’ s the ultimate goal .
”

Today, NASA announced the creation of the Artemis Accords, a new set of standards on how to explore the Moon. The agency hopes that other countries will agree to the terms, which lay out how humanity will act on the Moon, including how to mine resources from the lunar surface and ways to protect heritage Apollo sites.
The Artemis Accords, first reported by Reuters, are a reference to NASA’s Artemis program, an initiative to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has been clear that he wants the agency’s international partners to work with NASA to create a sustainable presence on and around the lunar surface. However, NASA wants everyone to be on the same page in how they’ll behave when they reach the Moon.
“When we go to the Moon, there’s a basic framework that we all agree on.”
“When we go to the Moon, there’s a basic framework that we all agree on,” Bridenstine said during a meeting on Friday morning. “And if you agree on that framework, certainly, we would love to have you be part of the Artemis program.” NASA worked with the State Department and the National Space Council to come up with these guidelines.
An international framework for exploring space already exists in the form of the Outer Space Treaty, which was signed and enacted in 1967. The treaty creates a series of loose guidelines for how nations are supposed to explore space. For one, the exploration of space is supposed to be a peaceful enterprise, and no one is supposed to put weapons of mass destruction up there. It also restricts anyone from laying sovereign claim to an outer space body and ensures we don’t contaminate the places we explore.
However, the Outer Space Treaty is purposefully vague, and the Artemis Accords are meant to provide a little more structure around NASA’s plans for the Moon. “They’re really, really vague,” Christopher Johnson, the space law advisor at the Secure World Foundation, tells The Verge. “‘States shall give due regard to the corresponding interests of other states. States shall prevent the harmful contamination of celestial bodies.’ Now we’re going to find out what those phrases mean under Artemis in the context of lunar activities.”
The idea is to create an agreement without going through the standard treaty-making process, which can sometimes be slow. Since NASA is squarely focused on getting to the Moon by 2024, the need for speed is there. “We’re not going to wait to negotiate a treaty that we think is in our national interest,” says Johnson. “We believe we can go to the Moon and use resources there, so therefore we’re going to go to the Moon and use resources there. And we’ll do so in a way that is in partnership with other countries.”
One thing the Accords would establish is something called “safety zones,” which would give potential explorers some room to work on the Moon, free of interference from other countries.
The Accords would also ensure that countries can extract and utilize resources that they find on the Moon. NASA has long touted its interest in mining water ice, thought to be lurking on the lunar surface, to use as drinking water or to create rocket fuel. However, there’s been some debate over whether that’s acceptable, as the Outer Space Treaty argues that nations cannot lay claim or own property in space.
“Here if you sign up for Artemis, you will agree that states have the right to access and utilize space resources.”
In early April, Trump signed an executive order supporting the US’s ability to mine resources from the Moon and other bodies, arguing that it does not conflict with the Outer Space Treaty. Now with these accords, NASA and the Trump administration want to take things a step further and get multiple countries to agree that this way of utilizing space resources is acceptable. “Here if you sign up for Artemis, you will agree that states have the right to access and utilize space resources,” says Johnson. “And that’s done in a way that’s in compliance with the Outer Space Treaty, but here they’re going to come up with the particulars of it. So if you go to the Moon, as part of Artemis, you can in fact use lunar dirt to build habitats.”
The agreement touches on other smaller logistical things such as making sure countries register the spacecraft they send to the Moon. Countries that are part of the agreement will also agree to share data openly in the same way that NASA does. Other provisions make sure that the Apollo landing sights would remain unharmed. That might mean setting up landing pads on the Moon that would stop the spread of harmful lunar dust whenever a spacecraft touches down on the surface.
While Bridenstine says that some countries like Japan and Canada are interested in this approach, others might not be so happy about it. Russia, for instance, was not pleased with the idea of the Artemis Accords when they were first reported; Dmitry Rogozin, director general of Russia’s state space corporation, Roscosmos, argued that “the principle of invasion is the same, whether it be the Moon or Iraq.”
“I think people are going to interpret it in a way that matches their preexisting ideology and understanding,” says Johnson.


theverge--2020-05-15--An HIV-fighting strategy might help against COVID-19

Though many people are pinning their hopes on a COVID-19 vaccine , another option is available : preventive treatment .
At a Senate hearing this week , Anthony Fauci noted that a vaccine — which is probably months or years away — isn ’ t the only way to protect someone from a life-threatening virus .
These treatments could protect people against infection for a few weeks or months , said Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
While most ongoing research studies are focused on finding treatments for people who are already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking to see if they can stop people who are at high risk from getting sick in the first place .
It ’ s a proven strategy : preventive drugs have been used for decades to help people protect themselves against malaria .
More recently , they were a breakthrough in the fight against HIV .
There ’ s no effective vaccine against HIV , but people can take a daily medication that reduces their risk of contracting it through sexual activity by 99 percent .
The medication is a pre-exposure prophylactic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent disease in people who haven ’ t yet been exposed to it .
“ We have an incredibly powerful tool that can , for myself personally , protect me from HIV , ” says James Krellenstein , co-founder of the PrEP4All Collaboration and an organizer of a COVID-19 working group in New York .
Krellenstein published a report this week outlining the clinical trials underway to find drugs that can prevent COVID-19 .
Viruses make people sick when they replicate and spread through the body , and most anti-viral drugs are designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone the drug early , when there ’ s only a small number of virus particles in the body , is going to be more effective than waiting until the virus is everywhere , Caleb Skipper , an infectious disease postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota , told The Verge .
In theory , a drug could be even more effective if it ’ s already in the body when the first virus appears .
Skipper is part of a research team at the University of Minnesota running a clinical trial to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus from replicating in a test tube , can help keep health care workers from catching COVID-19 .
The drug has been the subject of a lot of controversy and hasn ’ t been able to effectively treat people who are already sick and hospitalized .
The majority of clinical trials looking at preventive drugs now are testing hydroxychloroquine , Krellenstein found .
He argues that research into prophylactics needs to cast a wider net and look at other candidates , too .
“ Vaccines are much an art as a science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hit and miss .
It would be substantial if we could identify a molecular compound that could really inhibit COVID-19 acquisition , ” he says .
Some researchers are looking outside of hydroxychloroquine .
At Johns Hopkins , researchers are testing to see if convalescent plasma , the antibody-rich blood of COVID-19 survivors , could be protective .
A trial testing how well it protects people who have been exposed to the novel coronavirus from becoming sick will start enrolling participants next week .
“ You could imagine everyone in a meatpacking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagine everyone in the White House could get this , people at high risk , ” says David Sullivan , professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute , who ’ s involved in the plasma research .
“ It ’ s a way for those critical people to get immediate immunity.
” The trial will test if the plasma confers protection , and if it does , how long it might last .
“ Plasma is a single dose — you could go in and get it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or six weeks , ” Sullivan says .
“ We think that this is one of the essential steps to returning us to a functioning society .
But we have to demonstrate that it works.
” If plasma helps prevent COVID-19 , it could be a sign that more refined antibody treatments might also be useful as protection , he says .
Pharmaceutical companies are trying to identify the antibodies that are most effective at blocking the novel coronavirus .
Then , they ’ d be able to produce a more targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is a general mix of all the antibodies a sick person ’ s body creates .
“ Convalescent plasma is the first step towards other products , ” Sullivan says .
Both plasma and antibodies typically require IV infusions , so the logistics of providing them to people at risk of contracting COVID-19 is challenging — although it may only need to be given once to confer some level of protection .
Hydroxychloroquine is a pill , so it ’ s simpler for people to take , but may have to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limitations aren ’ t insurmountable .
And identifying drugs that can protect people from the novel coronavirus is a critical step toward controlling the pandemic , he says .
“ It ’ s all hands on deck treating people who are sick .
That has to be done , ” Sullivan says .
But the best way to help people is to keep them from getting sick in the first place .
It could also help them feel safer leaving the house .
“ If I have a treatment that shortens hospitalization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about going out and about , if it means I might have to go to the hospital , ” he says .
Treatments are important , Sullivan says , but they help put out fires that are already raging .
“ Prophylaxis is like throwing water on a box of matches , ” he says .
“ Wet matches aren ’ t going to light in the first place .
”

Though many people are pinning their hopes on a COVID-19 vaccine, another option is available: preventive treatment. At a Senate hearing this week, Anthony Fauci noted that a vaccine — which is probably months or years away — isn’t the only way to protect someone from a life-threatening virus.
These treatments could protect people against infection for a few weeks or months, said Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. While most ongoing research studies are focused on finding treatments for people who are already sick with COVID-19, some researchers are looking to see if they can stop people who are at high risk from getting sick in the first place.
It’s a proven strategy: preventive drugs have been used for decades to help people protect themselves against malaria. More recently, they were a breakthrough in the fight against HIV. There’s no effective vaccine against HIV, but people can take a daily medication that reduces their risk of contracting it through sexual activity by 99 percent. The medication is a pre-exposure prophylactic, or PrEP — a drug used to prevent disease in people who haven’t yet been exposed to it.
“We have an incredibly powerful tool that can, for myself personally, protect me from HIV,” says James Krellenstein, co-founder of the PrEP4All Collaboration and an organizer of a COVID-19 working group in New York.
Krellenstein published a report this week outlining the clinical trials underway to find drugs that can prevent COVID-19. Viruses make people sick when they replicate and spread through the body, and most anti-viral drugs are designed to stop that replication process. Giving someone the drug early, when there’s only a small number of virus particles in the body, is going to be more effective than waiting until the virus is everywhere, Caleb Skipper, an infectious disease postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota, told The Verge. In theory, a drug could be even more effective if it’s already in the body when the first virus appears.
Skipper is part of a research team at the University of Minnesota running a clinical trial to see if hydroxychloroquine, which can stop the coronavirus from replicating in a test tube, can help keep health care workers from catching COVID-19. The drug has been the subject of a lot of controversy and hasn’t been able to effectively treat people who are already sick and hospitalized.
The majority of clinical trials looking at preventive drugs now are testing hydroxychloroquine, Krellenstein found. He argues that research into prophylactics needs to cast a wider net and look at other candidates, too. “Vaccines are much an art as a science, and there’s a lot of hit and miss. It would be substantial if we could identify a molecular compound that could really inhibit COVID-19 acquisition,” he says.
Some researchers are looking outside of hydroxychloroquine. At Johns Hopkins, researchers are testing to see if convalescent plasma, the antibody-rich blood of COVID-19 survivors, could be protective. A trial testing how well it protects people who have been exposed to the novel coronavirus from becoming sick will start enrolling participants next week.
“You could imagine everyone in a meatpacking plant could get this. You could imagine everyone in the White House could get this, people at high risk,” says David Sullivan, professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, who’s involved in the plasma research. “It’s a way for those critical people to get immediate immunity.”
The trial will test if the plasma confers protection, and if it does, how long it might last. “Plasma is a single dose — you could go in and get it once and have protection for a month, or six weeks,” Sullivan says. “We think that this is one of the essential steps to returning us to a functioning society. But we have to demonstrate that it works.”
If plasma helps prevent COVID-19, it could be a sign that more refined antibody treatments might also be useful as protection, he says. Pharmaceutical companies are trying to identify the antibodies that are most effective at blocking the novel coronavirus. Then, they’d be able to produce a more targeted cocktail of virus-blocking substances than plasma, which is a general mix of all the antibodies a sick person’s body creates. “Convalescent plasma is the first step towards other products,” Sullivan says.
Both plasma and antibodies typically require IV infusions, so the logistics of providing them to people at risk of contracting COVID-19 is challenging — although it may only need to be given once to confer some level of protection. Hydroxychloroquine is a pill, so it’s simpler for people to take, but may have to be taken daily.
Sullivan thinks that the limitations aren’t insurmountable. And identifying drugs that can protect people from the novel coronavirus is a critical step toward controlling the pandemic, he says.
“It’s all hands on deck treating people who are sick. That has to be done,” Sullivan says. But the best way to help people is to keep them from getting sick in the first place. It could also help them feel safer leaving the house. “If I have a treatment that shortens hospitalization, I’m still going to worry about going out and about, if it means I might have to go to the hospital,” he says.


theverge--2020-05-15--Konami’s TurboGrafx-16 Mini will launch in North America on May 22nd

The TurboGrafx-16 Mini will launch in North America on May 22nd .
Konami ’ s miniature console was initially set to come out on March 19th through Amazon for $ 99.99 .
However , Konami delayed the console a few weeks before its release after suspending manufacturing and shipments of the system as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic .
A new release date for the console in Europe has yet to be announced .
The TurboGrafx-16 Mini already launched in Japan on March 19th under a different design and name , the PC Engine Mini .
The console features @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16-bit era of gaming , such as Bomberman ‘ 93 and Ys I & II .
Like other miniature consoles , the TurboGrafx-16 Mini includes one wired controller , however , a wireless third-party controller is also available for $ 24.99 .
The novel coronavirus has continued to disrupt the gaming industry My colleague , Andrew Webster , checked out the TurboGrafx-16 Mini last month .
Although the console is not exactly “ mini ” compared to the size of competitors like the NES Classic , he said the console “ doubles as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to revisit classics in an accessible format .
The novel coronavirus has continued to disrupt the gaming industry .
Gaming conventions have been canceled or replaced with virtual events , and video games have been delayed .
Those games include the Nintendo Switch port of Obsidian Entertainment ’ s The Outer Worlds and Sony ’ s highly anticipated first-party exclusive The Last of Us Part II , which received a new release date in late April following an indefinite delay earlier that month .
Though consoles remain mostly unaffected , buying a Nintendo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be quite challenging .
Both Microsoft and Sony are still planning to launch their next-gen consoles , the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 , during the 2020 holiday season .

The TurboGrafx-16 Mini will launch in North America on May 22nd.
Konami’s miniature console was initially set to come out on March 19th through Amazon for $99.99. However, Konami delayed the console a few weeks before its release after suspending manufacturing and shipments of the system as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A new release date for the console in Europe has yet to be announced.
The TurboGrafx-16 Mini already launched in Japan on March 19th under a different design and name, the PC Engine Mini. The console features more than 50 built-in titles from the 16-bit era of gaming, such as Bomberman ‘93 and Ys I & II. Like other miniature consoles, the TurboGrafx-16 Mini includes one wired controller, however, a wireless third-party controller is also available for $24.99.
The novel coronavirus has continued to disrupt the gaming industry
My colleague, Andrew Webster, checked out the TurboGrafx-16 Mini last month. Although the console is not exactly “mini” compared to the size of competitors like the NES Classic, he said the console “doubles as a history lesson,” allowing owners to revisit classics in an accessible format.
The novel coronavirus has continued to disrupt the gaming industry. Gaming conventions have been canceled or replaced with virtual events, and video games have been delayed. Those games include the Nintendo Switch port of Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds and Sony’s highly anticipated first-party exclusive The Last of Us Part II, which received a new release date in late April following an indefinite delay earlier that month.