theverge--2020-03-09--Everything you need to know about the coronavirus

Public health experts around the globe are scrambling to understand , track , and contain a new virus that appeared in Wuhan , China , at the beginning of December 2019 .
The World Health Organization named the disease caused by the virus COVID-19 , which references the type of virus and the year it emerged .
The Verge is regularly updating this page with all the latest news and analysis .
You can see where and how many cases of the illness have been reported in this map .
So far , there have been over 113,000 confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have recovered from the illness .
The vast majority of the illnesses are still in China , but the rate of new cases there has slowed .
The majority of new cases are appearing in other countries outside of China , and there are large outbreaks of the disease in multiple countries , including South Korea , Italy , and Iran .
There are over 600 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 22 deaths from the virus in the US .
As this important story continues to unfold , our hope is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people work to understand this virus and contain its spread .
Where did the virus come from ?
At the end of December , public health officials from China informed the World Health Organization that they had a problem : an unknown , new virus was causing pneumonia-like illness in the city of Wuhan .
They quickly determined that it was a coronavirus and that it was rapidly spreading through and outside of Wuhan .
Coronaviruses are common in animals of all kinds , and they sometimes can evolve into forms that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the century , two other coronaviruses have jumped to humans , causing the SARS outbreak in 2002 and the MERS outbreak in 2012 .
Scientists think this new virus first became capable of jumping to humans at the beginning of December .
It originally seemed like the virus first infected people at a seafood market in Wuhan and spread from there .
But one analysis of early cases of the illness , published January 24th , found that the first patient to get sick did not have any contact with the market .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak back to its source .
The type of animal the virus originated from is not clear , although one analysis found that the genetic sequence of the new virus is 96 percent identical to one coronavirus found in bats .
Both SARS and MERS originated in bats .
So is this the same as SARS ?
The new virus isn ’ t SARS , although that also began in China .
Because it comes from the same viral family as SARS , it has some similarities , but it ’ s an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commonalities mean scientists and public health officials can use what they ’ ve learned from the past outbreak to try to stop this one .
China lied to the WHO about SARS .
Is it lying about this , too ?
During the SARS outbreak , Chinese officials attempted to conceal cases from WHO inspectors and limit information , both internally and externally .
This time , officials quickly reported the outbreak of the new virus to the WHO , which praised their quick response and transparency in a press conference .
China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts to assist Chinese public health officials with the ongoing work , the organization announced January 28th .
The US Department of Health and Human Services also said China has been more transparent than they were with SARS .
“ The Chinese government ’ s level of cooperation is completely different from what we experienced in 2003 , ” said department Secretary Alex Azar during a press conference .
But critics and Chinese citizens were skeptical : there were early concerns that Chinese officials were undercounting the number of illnesses and are classifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus as being from pneumonia .
Wuhan police also investigated citizens for spreading what it called rumors online at the start of the outbreak .
How dangerous is this new virus ?
It takes information about both how severe an illness is and how easily it can spread to determine how “ bad ” it can be .
Epidemiologists often use this tool to assess new strains of the flu , for example , to guide decision-making : If an illness isn ’ t very severe ( and kills only a small percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s highly transmissible , it can still cause devastating effects — if something affects millions , the small percentage it kills will still be a high number of fatalities .
The WHO named the illness caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 — “ co ” and “ vi ” for coronavirus , “ d ” for disease , and “ 19 ” for the year when the disease emerged .
The symptoms of COVID-19 , which have ranged from mild , like those in a cold , to severe .
Around 80 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 80 percent of the cases that we know about .
It ’ s still possible that there are many more mild cases of the illness that haven ’ t been flagged , which would shrink the percentage of cases that are severe .
About 5 percent of cases are critical , and it appears around half of the people with critical cases of the illness die from it .
So far , the fatality rate for the new illness is around 2 or 3 percent , though it ’ s too early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could change as the outbreak progresses .
The fatality rate for SARS was about 14 to 15 percent .
Most deaths in this outbreak have been in older people and those who have underlying health issues , like heart disease , hypertension , and diabetes .
In that group , the fatality rate for the new coronavirus is much higher : it ’ s around 14 percent for people over the age of 80 , for example .
How fast is the virus spreading ?
The virus is moving rapidly around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been infecting others through person-to-person transmission since the start of January .
The new coronavirus spread quickly in the contained environment on the cruise ship the Diamond Princess .
Clusters of high numbers of cases have appeared in Italy , Iran and South Korea , and it ’ s possible that many more cases outside of China haven ’ t been detected .
Experts say that it may not be possible to contain a wider spread of the virus .
Early evidence suggested that , like other coronaviruses , the virus jumps between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with each other , and probably spreads when an infected person sneezes or coughs .
It ’ s still not clear when and for how long people with COVID-19 are contagious .
One study of nine people in Germany with mild cases of the illness found that they had high levels of the virus in their throats early on in the course of the disease , before they may feel very sick .
That may mean that people can spread the virus before they know they have it .
Chinese officials have said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the virus infected others before they start showing symptoms , but there isn ’ t detailed evidence to say if or how much that is happening .
Research out of China showed that people without symptoms still have high levels of the virus in their throats and noses , meaning they may be passing it along if they cough or sneeze .
A family in Anyang , China , also appeared to be sickened by an asymptomatic family member , reported a study in JAMA .
If that ’ s happening regularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be more complicated .
And even if it is happening , evidence shows that it ’ s probably not significantly affecting the outbreak , said Maria Van Kerkhove , manager in the Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases Unit at the WHO , in a press conference .
“ Asymptomatic transmission is not a major driver of transmission , ” she said .
Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said the same in a press conference .
“ Even if there is some asymptomatic transmission , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness , asymptomatic transmission has never been the driver of outbreaks , ” he said .
“ An epidemic is not driven by asymptomatic carriers.
” The WHO says that researchers think each sick person will go on to infect , on average , between 1.4 and 2.5 additional people , though that ’ s only a preliminary estimate .
Other teams of researchers have published their own estimates , with most saying a sick person will infect an average of around two or three people .
Those numbers are called the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ) .
The R0 is the mathematical representation of how well an infection might be able to spread .
The higher the number , the more potentially spreadable it can be .
For comparison , the R0 for SARS was between two and five .
But that doesn ’ t mean each sick person will actually infect that many people ; quarantines and other actions taken to control outbreaks of a virus can bring down the number of people a sick person infects .
Can we treat this virus ?
There aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but there are dozens of studies underway to try and find some .
One leading candidate is remdesivir , an antiviral medication originally developed to treat Ebola .
There are clinical trials testing it in patients in China and in the US .
Research teams and pharmaceutical companies are also working to develop a vaccine that can protect people from infection .
However , vaccine development takes a long time .
Even if everything goes smoothly , it will be around a year to 18 months before one is available , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
How can I protect myself ?
Based on what we know so far , you can protect yourself with the same measures you ’ d take ( and should be taking ) to protect yourself against the flu : wash your hands , cover your mouth when you cough , and stay away from people who are ill. Stay home from work or school if you ’ re feeling sick .
If you ’ re older or have a chronic health condition — which makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of the disease — you might want to stay away from crowded places , and postpone any unnecessary travel .
If you ’ re a young , healthy person , you might not feel very sick if you catch COVID-19 .
But if you don ’ t stay home and away from others , you run the risk of passing it on to someone who might be more vulnerable to a severe infection .
Call your doctor if you live in the US and have a fever , a dry cough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Italy , Japan , or South Korea , have been in contact with someone who has been to one of those places , or been in contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 .
The CDC recommends that older adults or anyone who might be more at risk of having a severe case of COVID-19 should avoid unnecessary travel .
The US State Department raised the travel advisory for China to a level 4 , saying Americans shouldn ’ t travel to China because of the virus .
Level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It applies only to areas with a “ greater likelihood of life-threatening risks.
” US citizens currently in China should “ consider departing using commercial means , ” the alert said .
The CDC issued a level 1 travel advisory for Hong Kong , saying that anyone traveling there should take precautions by washing their hands and avoiding sick people .
It ’ s issued level 2 travel advisories for Japan , saying that people who might be at higher risk from the virus — older adults and people with chronic health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely necessary .
There are level 3 travel advisories for China , Iran , Italy and South Korea , and the CDC recommends people avoid non-essential travel to those countries .
Many countries have travel restrictions in place and are placing travelers in quarantine if they ’ re suspected of having the disease or if they ’ ve been somewhere it ’ s spreading widely .
Anyone taking a trip should prepare for their plans to be disrupted if the situation changes .
How is China trying to stop the virus ?
China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak , shutting down transportation in Wuhan — home to over 11 million people — and cancelling flights and trains in and out of the city .
Dozens of other cities were placed under effective quarantine to try and slow the spread of the virus into other countries , and many canceled celebrations for the Lunar New Year , a huge holiday in China .
China also suspended public gatherings , isolated sick people and aggressively tracked their contacts , and had a dedicated network of hospitals to test for the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China has been declining , which indicated to WHO officials that transmission was slowing down — and that their containment measures were working .
How at risk is the United States ?
The virus is spreading through the country , and multiple states and counties have made emergency declarations .
The CDC is using its guidelines for pandemic influenza as a starting point for preparations .
People in the US should prepare for disruptions to everyday life , said Nancy Messonnier , director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call .
There are over 600 confirmed cases of the virus in the US , which includes people who were diagnosed with COVID-19 .
after being evacuated by the US State Department from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess cruise ship and placed under quarantine in the US .
Twenty two people in the United States have died of the virus , and there is an ongoing outbreak at a nursing home in Washington state .
There are cases in multiple states in people who did not have contact with a person known to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those illnesses is unknown , and it may mean the virus is spreading through communities in the United States .
The virus may have been spreading in Washington for weeks , for example .
CDC guidelines originally did not allow testing unless a sick person had been in a country with ongoing spread of the virus or who had been in contact with someone with a confirmed case of the disease could be tested , which delayed diagnosis of patients who did not have those risk factors .
They ’ ve since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s can use their best judgement based on a patient ’ s symptoms and location to decide if they should be tested .
In the US , though , there are still a limited number of tests available .
The CDC also says that it plans to do more widespread surveillance for the virus to see if there are cases it is missing , but problems with testing kits slowed its start .
Ramping that up is important because other countries are looking more aggressively for cases — and finding them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in response to the coronavirus at the end of January .
All flights from China to the US are being diverted to seven airports , and any US citizen who has traveled to China will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days .
Any US citizen who has been in the Hubei province ( where Wuhan is and where the virus originated ) will be held under a formal quarantine for 14 days .
In addition , any foreign national who has traveled to China in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to enter the US , unless they have immediate family members there , according to a proclamation from President Trump .
That initial decision was not supported by the WHO , which said countries should not restrict travel or trade in their response to the virus .
Trump announced new travel restrictions on Iran at the start of March .
Foreign nationals who have traveled to Iran in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter the US .
How is the virus affecting businesses that operate in China ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airlines , British Airways , and Air Canada , are canceling some or all flights to and from China .
United Airlines said their decision to do so was due to a drop in demand for those flights .
Tech companies like Apple started limiting employee travel to China even before the US State Department and CDC warned people against traveling there .
South Korea ’ s LG banned travel to China completely , and both Facebook and Razer told employees who had recently returned from China to work from home .
Foxconn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factories in China and makes products for tech companies like Apple , said the virus won ’ t impact their production .
But China officially extended the Lunar New Year holiday in an effort to curb the virus ’ spread , which could delay normal production schedules .
In a recent earnings call , Apple says it ’ s accounted for this uncertainty as it looks ahead to the next quarter .

Part of / A guide to the COVID-19 pandemic
Public health experts around the globe are scrambling to understand, track, and contain a virus that appeared in Wuhan, China, at the beginning of December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) named the disease caused by the virus COVID-19, which references the type of virus and the year it emerged. The WHO declared that the virus is a pandemic.
The Verge will update this page as new information emerges. You can also find our breakdown of what research shows about how to live in a pandemic world here.
A newsletter highlighting the COVID-19 research, developments, and stories that matter. Subscribe here!
You can see where and how many cases of the illness have been reported on this map. As this important story continues to unfold, our hope is to keep you up to date as people work to understand this virus and contain its spread.
Table of contents
Where did the virus come from?
At the end of December, public health officials from China informed the World Health Organization that they had a problem: an unknown, new virus was causing pneumonia-like illness in the city of Wuhan. They quickly determined that it was a coronavirus and that it was rapidly spreading through and outside of Wuhan.
Photo by Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
Coronaviruses are common in animals of all kinds, and they sometimes can evolve into forms that can infect humans. Since the start of the century, two other coronaviruses have jumped to humans, causing the SARS outbreak in 2002 and the MERS outbreak in 2012.
Scientists think this new virus first became capable of jumping to humans at the beginning of December. It originally seemed like the virus first infected people at a seafood market in Wuhan and spread from there. But one analysis of early cases of the illness, published on January 24th, found that the first patient to get sick did not have any contact with the market. Experts are still trying to trace the outbreak back to its source.
The type of animal the virus originated from is not clear, although one analysis found that the genetic sequence of the new virus is 96 percent identical to one coronavirus found in bats. Both SARS and MERS originated in bats.
Where is it spreading?
The virus is now spreading all over the world.
Although it originated in China, the country took aggressive action at the start of the outbreak, shutting down transportation in some cities and suspending public gatherings. Officials isolated sick people and aggressively tracked their contacts, and had a dedicated network of hospitals to test for the virus.
Countries like New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea have successfully slowed the pandemic. The US has not, and it is an epicenter of the crisis.
How dangerous is this new virus?
It takes information about both how severe an illness is and how easily it can spread to determine how “bad” it can be. Epidemiologists often use this tool to assess new strains of the flu, for example:
Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If an illness isn’t very severe (and kills only a small percentage of people), but it’s highly transmissible, it can still be devastating. An easily transmitted illness that kills a small percentage of the people it infects can still cause a lot of deaths, precisely because so many people get sick.
The WHO named the illness caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 — “co” and “vi” for coronavirus, “d” for disease, and “19” for the year when the disease emerged.
COVID-19 is a serious illness, and it’s much more dangerous than the flu. One Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) projection suggests that between 160 to 214 million people will eventually be infected in the US and that between 200,000 and 1.7 million could die.
The symptoms of COVID-19 have ranged from mild, like those in a cold, to severe. Around 80 percent of confirmed cases are mild and don’t require hospitalization — at least, 80 percent of the cases that we know about. It’s still possible that there are more mild cases of the illness that haven’t been flagged, which would shrink the percentage of cases that are severe. In about 15 percent of people, the illness is severe enough that they need to be hospitalized, and about 5 percent of cases are critical. It appears around half of the people with critical cases of the illness die from it.
“Mild” cases, though, can still be debilitating. Some people with the disease say they couldn’t get out of bed for weeks. For many people, the effects of the illness linger: some people report running fevers for months or experiencing waves of fatigue that make it hard to run errands or walk up the stairs. Researchers don’t know why symptoms last so long, even after people no longer test positive for the virus.
So far, experts say that around 1 percent of people who get sick with COVID-19 will die, though it’s still too early to say for sure how often it is fatal. In the US, around 5 percent of people with confirmed cases of the virus have died from it, but that doesn’t account for the people who didn’t know they were infected or who weren't able to get tested.
Different groups of people are more at risk of having a severe case of the illness or of dying from it. Most deaths in this outbreak have been in older people and those who have underlying health issues, like heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. In that group, people are more at risk of dying. Around 14 percent of people over the age of 80 who get sick will die, for example.
How easily can the virus spread?
The virus moves rapidly. The new coronavirus spreads quickly in contained environments, like on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Early evidence suggested that, like other coronaviruses, the virus jumps between people who are in very close contact with each other. It also probably spreads when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Coughs and sneezes produce little droplets of mucus and saliva. If these droplets make it into another person’s eyes, mouth, or nose, they can get sick. The viruses in those little droplets can also fall onto surfaces, like tables or doorknobs — if someone touches that surface and touches their eyes, mouth, or nose, they can also get sick.
The smallest of those droplets can also linger in the air after a sick person coughs or sneezes or when they breathe and talk. People can probably get infected by those clouds of lingering droplets, even though scientists still don’t know how often that actually happens. That’s why being inside, particularly in poorly ventilated rooms, is dangerous: tiny virus-carrying droplets wouldn’t circulate out in the same way they would outdoors.
We also don’t know when people with COVID-19 become contagious or how long being contagious lasts. One study of nine people in Germany with mild cases of the illness found that they had high levels of the virus in their throats early on in the course of the disease before they felt very sick. Research out of China showed that people without symptoms still have high levels of the virus in their throats and noses.
It’s probably possible for people to spread the virus to others before they feel sick. It’s also possible that people who never feel sick and are truly asymptomatic can infect other people. Researchers still don’t know how often those people actually end up spreading the disease. Some studies suggest that people who do have symptoms are much more likely to spread the virus to others.
Each sick person will go on to infect, on average, between 1.4 and 2.5 additional people, the WHO says, though that’s an early estimate. Other teams of researchers have published their own estimates, with most saying a sick person will infect an average of around two or three people.
Those numbers are called the virus’s R0 (pronounced “R-naught”). The R0 is the mathematical representation of how well an infection might be able to spread. The higher the number, the easier the disease is to spread. For comparison, the R0 for SARS was between two and five. But that doesn’t mean each sick person will actually infect that many people; quarantines and other actions taken to control outbreaks of a virus can bring down the number of people a sick person infects.
The R0 is also just an average. Researchers think this particular illness happens in clusters and tends to cause “superspreading” events. Some estimate that as few as 10 percent of COVID-19 cases are responsible for 80 percent of the disease’s spread — that is, most people don’t infect anyone else, and a few people set off chain reactions that infect dozens.
Can we treat this virus?
Since the start of the pandemic, doctors have gotten better at treating patients with COVID-19 in the hospital. There still isn’t much doctors can do for people with mild cases of the illness who aren’t sick enough to be hospitalized. But trials of synthetic antibodies are underway, and they might be able to help prevent people who catch the virus from becoming seriously ill.
In October, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved remdesivir, an antiviral medication originally developed for Ebola, to treat the disease — even though clinical trials found that it only has a limited benefit.
There was a lot of early hype around the anti-malaria medication chloroquine, but clinical trials showed that it doesn’t actually help COVID-19 patients. Clinical trials did show, though, that a cheap steroid called dexamethasone could help people who are hospitalized with very severe cases of the disease.
Research teams and pharmaceutical companies are also working to develop a vaccine that can protect people from infection. However, vaccine development takes a long time. Even if everything goes smoothly, it will be around a year to 18 months from the start of the development process before one is available, said Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
What can I do to protect myself and others?
Stay home if you’re feeling sick, even if you’re just a little bit under the weather. Stay home as much as possible even if you’re not feeling sick. If you do go out, wear a cloth mask or face covering when you’re out in public, especially in places where it’s hard to stay far away from others. While they’re not perfect, a cloth face covering could help stop you from spreading virus-laden particles to other people, even if you don’t know you’re sick. They could also partially block the virus from reaching your nose or mouth. If everyone wears them, some studies show they could help slow the spread of the virus.
Many states are slowly starting to let restaurants, barbershops, and retail stores open, even though the disease is still spreading rapidly in some places. The CDC released guidelines on June 12th, outlining the relative risk of everyday activities and the ways people should protect themselves when they venture out to the bank or the gym.
Spending time with a few people is less risky than hanging out with a large group, and everyone should wear masks and keep at a distance, the CDC says. The risk of contracting COVID-19 (or spreading it) goes up if you spend time with other people indoors rather than outside.
Before deciding if you should do a particular activity, the agency recommends thinking about how many new cases are being reported each day in your area. If the case numbers are low, the risk is lower than if hundreds of new people are being diagnosed with COVID-19 each day. You should also think about how closely you’d be interacting with other people (and if they’d be wearing a mask).
If you’re a young, healthy person, you might not feel very sick if you catch COVID-19. But you could pass it on to someone older or with a chronic health condition who is more likely to have a severe case of the disease.
Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If I already had COVID-19, am I immune?
Many researchers think that after someone is infected with the coronavirus, there’s a good chance that person won’t get sick from the virus again for some still-undetermined amount of time. That’s based on what scientists know about how most viruses work. Usually, when you’re sick from a viral infection, your body develops antibodies against that virus. The next time you’re exposed to the virus, those antibodies could stop it from turning into a raging illness — though that isn’t always the case.
There isn’t concrete evidence that people who got sick once with COVID-19 can’t get sick again because no studies have specifically tested that idea. But virologists don’t think that this virus behaves differently than most other viruses — so people who did get sick are probably protected. The question, though, is for how long: for some viruses, the protection fades after a year or a few years. There aren’t answers to that question yet.
What’s happening in the US?
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in response to the coronavirus at the end of January, and President Trump declared a federal emergency in March.
As the overall case counts rose through March and April, governors and local officials closed nonessential businesses and told people to work from home and stay away from others. The interventions are helped to slow the spread of the disease in some areas, but many states — including Texas, Arizona, and Florida — lifted restrictions before public health experts thought it was safe.
Through the summer of 2020, cases in those places rapidly increased. After a long plateau, spikes in some Southern and Western US states pushed up new daily case numbers in the US. A fall surge hit the whole country, sending case numbers above the summer highs. The Midwest has the highest burden of disease, but hospitalizations are climbing all over the country.
Early in 2020, the virus spread undetected for weeks in the US. Initially, CDC guidelines did not allow testing unless a sick person had been in a country with an ongoing spread of the virus or who had been in contact with someone with a confirmed case of the disease could be tested. That delayed the diagnosis of patients who did not have those risk factors.
The US is doing around one million COVID-19 tests per day, according to data collected by volunteers at the COVID Tracking Project. Testing was slow to get off the ground in the US. It took too long for the FDA and the CDC to develop and distribute a functioning test and longer still for testing capacity to increase.
Many public health agencies across the country also still aren’t getting in touch with everyone who tests positive for the virus to find the people they may have exposed — a critical public health tool called contact tracing. The US needs to scale up its contact tracing workforce in order to control the outbreak.


theverge--2020-03-09--DoNotPay made an extension for sharing Netflix passwords with friends

DoNotPay , the company responsible for creating an AI-powered app that provides legal advice , has released a new product that allows you to privately share your login info for Disney Plus , Netflix , and other subscription services with friends and loved ones .
DoNotPay ’ s subscription sharing product is a Google Chrome extension .
Once you install it , you will need to head to a website that offers a paid subscription service , such as Amazon Prime or Spotify , and log in .
Click the DoNotPay icon on the top of your browser and hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a shareable link you can send to someone or enter an email address and it will send an automatic email to the recipient .
There ’ s also an exchange feature , allowing you to request access to another person ’ s account in exchange for access to yours .
It keeps your passwords secure When someone clicks the link you emailed them , they will be automatically logged into your account after verifying their identity .
They won ’ t see your actual password since the system works by transferring the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rather than your plain password itself , and protects it in transit with encryption , according to VentureBeat .
Once someone is logged in , they ’ re able to use the account as if it were their own by streaming music , movies , and TV shows or adding stuff to your watchlist .
Speaking to VentureBeat , DoNotPay creator Joshua Browder said there ’ s no limit to how many people you can share a specific account with ; however , many services have a limit on how many devices @ @ @ @ @

DoNotPay, the company responsible for creating an AI-powered app that provides legal advice, has released a new product that allows you to privately share your login info for Disney Plus, Netflix, and other subscription services with friends and loved ones.
DoNotPay’s subscription sharing product is a Google Chrome extension. Once you install it, you will need to head to a website that offers a paid subscription service, such as Amazon Prime or Spotify, and log in. Click the DoNotPay icon on the top of your browser and hit “Generate Link,” which will create a shareable link you can send to someone or enter an email address and it will send an automatic email to the recipient. There’s also an exchange feature, allowing you to request access to another person’s account in exchange for access to yours.
It keeps your passwords secure
When someone clicks the link you emailed them, they will be automatically logged into your account after verifying their identity. They won’t see your actual password since the system works by transferring the cookie that stores your existing login status, rather than your plain password itself, and protects it in transit with encryption, according to VentureBeat. Once someone is logged in, they’re able to use the account as if it were their own by streaming music, movies, and TV shows or adding stuff to your watchlist.


theverge--2020-03-09--Canceling events early can help keep an outbreak from getting worse

SXSW , the annual event each year in Austin , Texas , was canceled one week before it was set to start over concerns about the novel coronavirus .
The Swiss government banned gatherings of 1,000 people or more , shutting down the 2020 Geneva Motor Show .
Emerald City Comic Con , planned for this coming weekend in Seattle , was postponed .
In New York City , Mayor Bill de Blasio asked people to work from home if they ’ re able and to avoid crowded subway cars .
Canceling events and encouraging people to stay out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places that haven ’ t had a high number of cases of the virus identified .
But evidence from past outbreaks shows that implementing policies that keep people at a distance can prevent one from exploding .
During the 1918 influenza pandemic , for example , fewer people died in cities that closed churches and schools early on .
Cities like St. Louis , which closed movie theaters and canceled sporting events when only a few people had the flu , were able to reduce the spread of disease by around half .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parade at the start of the outbreak , saw the number of cases skyrocket .
There still may be high numbers of cases — and even deaths — in places that put early social distancing policies in place during an epidemic .
Crucially , though , those cases are spread out over a longer period of time .
Epidemiologists refer to it as flattening the curve .
That prevents a sudden surge in the number of sick people , which can quickly overwhelm hospitals and the health care system .
A flattened curve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people sick at once , so they can be cared for and discharged .
The outbreak may go on for longer , but the impacts wouldn ’ t be as severe .
Even though earlier may be better , there ’ s no consensus on the best time to put social distancing policies in place .
They can be socially and economically taxing , and it ’ s emotionally difficult for people to see everyday life disrupted around them .
China locked down cities and kept people in their homes for weeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which came at huge psychological cost — even though it probably contributed to the decline in the number of new cases they ’ re seeing each day .
Recommendations in place in the US range from canceling events to asking the elderly , who are at risk of having severe illness from the new virus , to avoid traveling unless it ’ s necessary .
Some school districts shut down , and some universities moved their classes online .
Many companies are asking their employees to work from home .
But in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be especially challenging .
Many people don ’ t have paid sick leave and can ’ t afford to stay home or off of crowded public transportation if they ’ re feeling ill. Shutting down schools might seem to be an easy way to stop the spread of disease , but the high cost of child care might mean that causes more harm than good .
If their parents can ’ t stay home from work , they might leave kids at community centers , like they did during the H1N1 epidemic in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , is reluctant to close all schools in response to the COVID-19 outbreak because they ’ re the only places many kids get hot meals each day .
Applying social distancing measures to the extent the system allows , though , is the best defense against the spread of the novel coronavirus , particularly without vaccines or treatments available .
The goal isn ’ t to eliminate the disease entirely , but to keep cases from appearing all at once .
During an epidemic , that can mean the difference between a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more manageable .

The novel coronavirus has now reached the level of a global pandemic. That does not, however, mean the spread of the virus is impossible to stop.
“The danger is that if you do not try and stop this, it can overwhelm your health system,” Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, said in a press conference on March 11th. “There have to be very strong efforts made to suppress infection, to push the infection back.”
Experts say the best defense we have is social distancing — asking people to avoid gathering in groups and keep at a distance from others.
Even before the pandemic declaration, groups were canceling large gatherings to try to slow the spread of the virus. SXSW, the annual event held each year in Austin, Texas, was canceled one week before it was set to start due to concerns about the novel coronavirus. The Swiss government banned gatherings of 1,000 people or more, shutting down the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. Emerald City Comic Con, which was set to take place from March 12th–16th in Seattle, was postponed. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio asked people to work from home if they’re able and to avoid crowded subway cars during rush hours.
Canceling events and encouraging people to stay out of crowded areas may seem like overkill in places that haven’t had a high number of identified cases of the virus, but evidence from past outbreaks shows that implementing policies that keep people at a distance can prevent one from exploding.
During the 1918 influenza pandemic, for example, fewer people died in cities that closed churches and schools early on. Cities like St. Louis, which closed movie theaters and canceled sporting events when only a few people had the flu, were able to reduce the spread of disease by around half. Philadelphia, which decided to hold a parade at the start of the outbreak, saw the number of cases skyrocket.
Image: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA
There still may be high numbers of cases — and even deaths — in places that put early social distancing policies in place during an epidemic. Crucially, though, those cases are spread out over a longer period of time. Epidemiologists refer to it as flattening the curve. That prevents a sudden surge in the number of sick people, which can quickly overwhelm hospitals and the health care system. A flattened curve means there aren’t as many people sick at once, so they can be cared for and discharged. The outbreak may go on for longer, but the impacts wouldn’t be as severe.
Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Even though earlier may be better, there’s no consensus on the best time to put social distancing policies in place. They can be socially and economically taxing, and it’s emotionally difficult for people to see everyday life disrupted around them. China locked down cities and kept people in their homes for weeks to try to beat back the outbreak, which came at a huge psychological cost — even though it probably contributed to the decline in the number of new cases they’re seeing each day.
Recommendations in place in the US range from canceling events to asking the elderly, who are at risk of having severe illness from the new virus, to avoid traveling unless it’s necessary. Some school districts shut down, and some universities moved their classes online. Many companies are asking their employees to work from home.
But in the US, applying public health policies can be especially challenging. Many people don’t have paid sick leave and can’t afford to stay home or off of crowded public transportation if they’re feeling ill. Shutting down schools might seem like an easy way to stop the spread of disease, but the high cost of child care might mean doing so would cause more harm than good. If parents can’t stay home from work, they might leave kids at community centers, like they did during the H1N1 epidemic in Seattle. New York City, for example, is reluctant to close all schools in response to the COVID-19 outbreak because they’re the only places many kids get hot meals each day.


theverge--2020-03-09--Amazon tells NY and NJ employees to work from home to prevent coronavirus spread

Amazon told employees in New York and New Jersey that they should work from home for the month of March if they can , CNBC reports .
The internet giant ’ s Audible audiobook division is located in Newark , New Jersey , and it has thousands of employees in New York City .
“ We continue to work closely with public and private medical experts to ensure we are taking the right precautions as the situation continues to evolve , ” an Amazon spokesperson told CNBC .
“ This includes recommending that employees who are able to work from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New York , New Jersey and the Lombardy region/Asti province of Italy do so through the end of March.
” Amazon told its warehouse workers and other employees late on Sunday that the company won ’ t count unpaid time off that employees take during March .
On Monday , New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged city residents to work from home if possible .
“ For a business that can allow more employees to telecommute , we want you to do that , ” he told reporters at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reduce the number of people on mass transit just to open up some more space.
” New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the number of coronavirus cases in the state continued to rise .
Last week , Amazon joined other tech giants with operations in Seattle , telling employees there to work from home until the end of March .
Amazon confirmed on March 2nd that one of its Seattle-based employees was quarantined with the novel coronavirus .
The company already restricted all nonessential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Monday , Google said it would expand an earlier ban on visitors to its Washington office and restrict visitors to its offices in the San Francisco area and New York .

Amazon told employees in New York and New Jersey that they should work from home for the month of March if they can, CNBC reports. The internet giant’s Audible audiobook division is located in Newark, New Jersey, and it has thousands of employees in New York City.
“We continue to work closely with public and private medical experts to ensure we are taking the right precautions as the situation continues to evolve,” an Amazon spokesperson told CNBC. “This includes recommending that employees who are able to work from home in Seattle/Bellevue, the Bay Area, New York, New Jersey and the Lombardy region/Asti province of Italy do so through the end of March.”
Amazon told its warehouse workers and other employees late on Sunday that the company won’t count unpaid time off that employees take during March.
On Monday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged city residents to work from home if possible. “For a business that can allow more employees to telecommute, we want you to do that,” he told reporters at a press conference. “We simply want to reduce the number of people on mass transit just to open up some more space.” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the number of coronavirus cases in the state continued to rise.
Last week, Amazon joined other tech giants with operations in Seattle, telling employees there to work from home until the end of March. Amazon confirmed on March 2nd that one of its Seattle-based employees was quarantined with the novel coronavirus. The company already restricted all nonessential domestic travel in response to the outbreak.


theverge--2020-03-09--BMW’s first long-range EV won’t come to the US

The BMW iX3 , the company ’ s first long-range electric vehicle , won ’ t be coming to the US after all .
While the German automaker had previously left the door open to a US release sometime around 2021 , a company spokesperson told Automotive News on Sunday that the iX3 will only be sold in Europe and China , which is where it ’ s being made .
Announced in 2018 , the iX3 is meant to be BMW ’ s first long-range — and first normal-looking — electric vehicle .
It largely resembles the X3 SUV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle in the US .
But instead of a combustion engine , the iX3 is powered by a 74kWh battery pack that is supposed to power the SUV for 273 miles when full .
It ’ s slated to go into production later this year .
The iX3 is not the first EV to be steered away from the US , which is the second-biggest auto market on the planet .
Volkswagen decided not to bring its first “ electric car for the masses , ” the ID 3 , to the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opting instead to make the larger ID 4 SUV the first EV that the automaker will sell here .
In December , Mercedes-Benz pushed back the US launch of its first long-range electric SUV , the EQC , to 2021 .
It ’ s an electric version of BMW ’ s most popular vehicle in the US Despite the country ’ s might when it comes to buying new vehicles , many electric vehicles that aren ’ t from Tesla have struggled to catch on in the US .
General Motors sold around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Nissan moved around 12,000 Leafs .
Consumers bought about 5,000 or fewer of every other all-electric car on the market in the US last year .
Some hybrids have fared better , like the Prius Prime , of which Toyota sold around 23,000 in 2019 .
Others have been outright discontinued , like Honda ’ s all-electric Clarity sedan , which was killed off on Monday .
BMW did sell around 4,800 i3s in the US last year — not bad for the company ’ s first all-electric car , which first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the company wouldn ’ t say why it ’ s decided not to test the US ’ s EV waters with the iX3 , especially given the success of its gas-powered successor .
Instead , the company only pointed to the iNext SUV and the i4 sedan as its next all-electric entries into the market .
( BMW also owns Mini , which is releasing an all-electric car powered by the i3 ’ s EV tech in March of this year . )
As for why it ’ s making the iX3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a little easier to fathom .
China is the biggest market for electric vehicles ( and cars in general ) in the world , and making them locally helps the company sidestep import taxes .
Making the iX3 in China also puts BMW close to the main supply chain for EVs .
It ’ s also likely to save BMW money , as Ford once said it could save up to $ 1 billion by making the Focus there .

The BMW iX3, the company’s first long-range electric vehicle, won’t be coming to the US after all. While the German automaker had previously left the door open to a US release sometime around 2021, a company spokesperson told Automotive News on Sunday that the iX3 will only be sold in Europe and China, which is where it’s being made.
Announced in 2018, the iX3 is meant to be BMW’s first long-range — and first normal-looking — electric vehicle. It largely resembles the X3 SUV, the company’s most popular vehicle in the US. But instead of a combustion engine, the iX3 is powered by a 74kWh battery pack that is supposed to power the SUV for 273 miles when full. It’s slated to go into production later this year.
The iX3 is not the first EV to be steered away from the US, which is the second-biggest auto market on the planet. Volkswagen decided not to bring its first “electric car for the masses,” the ID 3, to the US even before it went into production, opting instead to make the larger ID 4 SUV the first EV that the automaker will sell here. In December, Mercedes-Benz pushed back the US launch of its first long-range electric SUV, the EQC, to 2021.
It’s an electric version of BMW’s most popular vehicle in the US
Despite the country’s might when it comes to buying new vehicles, many electric vehicles that aren’t from Tesla have struggled to catch on in the US. General Motors sold around 16,000 Chevy Bolt EVs in 2019, and Nissan moved around 12,000 Leafs. Consumers bought about 5,000 or fewer of every other all-electric car on the market in the US last year. Some hybrids have fared better, like the Prius Prime, of which Toyota sold around 23,000 in 2019. Others have been outright discontinued, like Honda’s all-electric Clarity sedan, which was killed off on Monday.


theverge--2020-03-09--Lambda School threatens ex-employee for coming forward about conditions at the coding bootcamp

Lambda School , the controversial coding bootcamp , is threatening a former employee for speaking out about problems at the school .
In an article published on February 11th , Sabrina Baez , Lambda ’ s former head of career services , told The Verge that she was called a “ feisty Latina ” and a “ bulldog ” when she pushed for a diversity initiative at the school .
Baez had signed a severance agreement when she left Lambda after the incidents ; the school sent her a letter claiming she violated that agreement by speaking to reporters and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money ( roughly $ 36,000 ) .
The Verge has seen that letter , which also says Lambda is prepared to file a lawsuit to collect .
Baez claims that Lambda tried to fire her in 2018 for not living up to a performance plan .
When she told her manager she hadn ’ t received any documentation about this plan , she claims he walked back his comments and said she could stay .
Baez says she decided to leave anyway because she no longer felt supported in her role .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and signed a nondisclosure agreement to get severance .
Because of this agreement , The Verge agreed not to use Baez ’ s name in the article .
She has decided to come forward publicly in this piece since the school is threatening legal action .
“ It has come to our attention that you recently discussed Lambda School with members of the media including the Verge , and that in those conversations you shared confidential information of Lambda School as well as false statements , ” Lambda ’ s letter to Baez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 and 4 of the Agreement ( Non-Disparagement and Confidentiality , respectively ) .
” When The Verge reached out to Lambda on February 6th to comment on Baez ’ s alleged experience , CEO Austen Allred said : “ It is not accurate that she left of her own accord .
Nothing like those statements was reported to us by her or anyone else about her , and if they were , we ’ d take immediate action .
Out of respect for the employee , we can ’ t comment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legal letter Baez received , Lambda ’ s lawyers explicitly threatened a lawsuit if she does not return the money .
“ We hope that it is not necessary for us to commence suit against you to recover amounts paid to you under the Agreement , ” they wrote .
“ Nevertheless , we send this letter as a reminder both of your obligations under the Agreement , and that we are prepared to file suit and to seek recovery of money paid , and all attorneys ’ fees and costs incurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached out to Lambda School to clarify which parts of Baez ’ s statements were confidential or false .
The school did not respond .
The Verge ’ s reporting went beyond Baez ’ s experience , detailing ongoing issues Lambda faces with unhappy students and regulatory hurdles .
In January , students from the school ’ s User Experience Design program wrote a letter to the school calling the program “ a very bad experience ” and “ not worth the money.
” They asked to get out of their income sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bedrock of Lambda ’ s program .
The school is also operating without state approval in California , meaning the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education can not step in to help students if there is a dispute with the school .
In the case of the User Experience program , the agency didn ’ t have to : Lambda let the students out of their ISAs .

Lambda School, the controversial coding bootcamp, is threatening a former employee for speaking out about problems at the school.
In an article published on February 11th, Sabrina Baez, Lambda’s former head of career services, told The Verge that she was called a “feisty Latina” and a “bulldog” when she pushed for a diversity initiative at the school. Baez had signed a severance agreement when she left Lambda after the incidents; the school sent her a letter claiming she violated that agreement by speaking to reporters and is demanding the return of her severance money (roughly $36,000). The Verge has seen that letter, which also says Lambda is prepared to file a lawsuit to collect.
Baez claims that Lambda tried to fire her in 2018 for not living up to a performance plan. When she told her manager she hadn’t received any documentation about this plan, she claims he walked back his comments and said she could stay. Baez says she decided to leave anyway because she no longer felt supported in her role. She was five months pregnant at the time and signed a nondisclosure agreement to get severance. Because of this agreement, The Verge agreed not to use Baez’s name in the article. She has decided to come forward publicly in this piece since the school is threatening legal action.
“It has come to our attention that you recently discussed Lambda School with members of the media including the Verge, and that in those conversations you shared confidential information of Lambda School as well as false statements,” Lambda’s letter to Baez reads. “These actions violated Sections 3 and 4 of the Agreement (Non-Disparagement and Confidentiality, respectively).”
When The Verge reached out to Lambda on February 6th to comment on Baez’s alleged experience, CEO Austen Allred said: “It is not accurate that she left of her own accord. Nothing like those statements was reported to us by her or anyone else about her, and if they were, we’d take immediate action. Out of respect for the employee, we can’t comment in deeper detail on this situation.”
In the legal letter Baez received, Lambda’s lawyers explicitly threatened a lawsuit if she does not return the money. “We hope that it is not necessary for us to commence suit against you to recover amounts paid to you under the Agreement,” they wrote. “Nevertheless, we send this letter as a reminder both of your obligations under the Agreement, and that we are prepared to file suit and to seek recovery of money paid, and all attorneys’ fees and costs incurred herein as a result.”
The Verge reached out to Lambda School to clarify which parts of Baez’s statements were confidential or false. The school did not respond.


theverge--2020-03-09--Cadillac cancels Lyriq EV debut because of the coronavirus outbreak

Cadillac has canceled the April 2nd debut of the Lyriq , the first electric SUV being built on parent company General Motors ’ newly unveiled EV platform , as large public gatherings continue to be discouraged amid the new coronavirus outbreak .
No replacement date has been chosen .
GM only just announced the Lyriq last week at an “ EV Day ” event in Warren , Michigan , that showcased a new modular electric vehicle platform meant to power a wide range of the company ’ s EVs in the coming years .
The Lyriq is supposed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with a sedan — the Celestiq — to follow .
An early version showed off at the EV Day featured a 34-inch pillar-to-pillar screen , power doors , a long wheelbase , and lots of high-end materials .
The communications director for product development at Cadillac and GM , Michael T. Albano , said the companies are “ currently evaluating future plans and will be touch soon with an update.
” “ Our top priority is the safety of our media guests and employees , ” Albano said in an email .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medical and Security to monitor the situation closely and have been following recommendations for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.
” The news comes just two weeks after the Geneva Motor Show , one of the industry ’ s flashiest automotive trade shows , was canceled for similar reasons .
The Lyriq reveal is one of the first auto industry events to be canceled in the US , though .
The SUV was supposed to be unveiled in Los Angeles , California , which declared a health emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test positive for the virus .

Cadillac has canceled the April 2nd debut of the Lyriq, the first electric SUV being built on parent company General Motors’ newly unveiled EV platform, as large public gatherings continue to be discouraged amid the new coronavirus outbreak. No replacement date has been chosen.
GM only just announced the Lyriq last week at an “EV Day” event in Warren, Michigan, that showcased a new modular electric vehicle platform meant to power a wide range of the company’s EVs in the coming years. The Lyriq is supposed to be the first electric luxury SUV from Cadillac, with a sedan — the Celestiq — to follow. An early version showed off at the EV Day featured a 34-inch pillar-to-pillar screen, power doors, a long wheelbase, and lots of high-end materials.
That was quick
The communications director for product development at Cadillac and GM, Michael T. Albano, said the companies are “currently evaluating future plans and will be touch soon with an update.”
“Our top priority is the safety of our media guests and employees,” Albano said in an email. “We have been working with GM Medical and Security to monitor the situation closely and have been following recommendations for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.”


theverge--2020-03-09--Epic CEO Tim Sweeney pledges support for Nvidia’s GeForce Now game streaming service

As multiple publishers and developers pull their games from Nvidia ’ s GeForce Now cloud game streaming service , Epic CEO Tim Sweeney recently tweeted in support of it .
In the thread , he stated that Fortnite will remain available for subscribers to the service as will all other games available on the Epic Games Store , at each developer ’ s discretion ( via PC Gamer ) .
This public backing of GeForce Now comes as a growing number of developers and publishers , including 2K Games , Activision Blizzard , and Bethesda have pulled games from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , likely due to a licensing dispute .
Sweeney claims that GeForce Now is “ the most developer-friendly and publisher-friendly ” streaming service as it doesn ’ t issue a tax on game revenue .
Also , he posits elsewhere in the thread that supporting GeForce Now will push the game industry toward “ a healthier state , ” as Nvidia ’ s platform- and storefront-agnostic approach to business is an arrow across the likes of Apple ’ s App Store and the Google Play Store .
Each of those platforms collects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchases from use in other services .
Sweeney ’ s stance on app stores is consistent ; Epic sidesteps paying the Google Play Store ’ s 30 percent cut of app profits by instead offering Fortnite on Android through the Epic Games app that you have to install manually .
Despite Sweeney ’ s enthusiasm for Nvidia ’ s model , it seems that many developers and publishers take issue with how Nvidia is conducting business — at least so far .
Activision Blizzard , the first publisher to exit the service , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give Nvidia express permission to provide its games outside of the beta .
Raphael van Lierop , director and writer of The Long Dark , pulled that game from the service for a similar reason and cited on Twitter that “ devs should control where their games exist.
” Most gamers want to be able to access their digital games wherever they are , but Sweeney ’ s statement reads like a series of subtweets to diminish companies that refuse to jump on board with this vision , lumping in giant gaming companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller margins alike .
What ’ s more , it doesn ’ t speak to the larger , nuanced conversation that need to happen regarding where Nvidia ’ s business model fits into the chain of how and where you gain access to digital games you already own .
My colleague Nick Statt wrote a must-read piece that breaks this topic down to its basics , so give that a look .

As multiple publishers and developers pull their games from Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud game streaming service, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney recently tweeted in support of it. In the thread, he stated that Fortnite will remain available for subscribers to the service as will all other games available on the Epic Games Store, at each developer’s discretion (via PC Gamer). This public backing of GeForce Now comes as a growing number of developers and publishers, including 2K Games, Activision Blizzard, and Bethesda have pulled games from the service since it left beta earlier this year, likely due to a licensing dispute.
Sweeney claims that GeForce Now is “the most developer-friendly and publisher-friendly” streaming service as it doesn’t issue a tax on game revenue. Also, he posits elsewhere in the thread that supporting GeForce Now will push the game industry toward “a healthier state,” as Nvidia’s platform- and storefront-agnostic approach to business is an arrow across the likes of Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. Each of those platforms collects taxes on game purchases and wall those purchases from use in other services. Sweeney’s stance on app stores is consistent; Epic sidesteps paying the Google Play Store’s 30 percent cut of app profits by instead offering Fortnite on Android through the Epic Games app that you have to install manually.
Despite Sweeney’s enthusiasm for Nvidia’s model, it seems that many developers and publishers take issue with how Nvidia is conducting business — at least so far. Activision Blizzard, the first publisher to exit the service, did so because it didn’t give Nvidia express permission to provide its games outside of the beta. Raphael van Lierop, director and writer of The Long Dark, pulled that game from the service for a similar reason and cited on Twitter that “devs should control where their games exist.”


theverge--2020-03-10--Will Apple Watch sleep tracking in watchOS 7 Sherlock third party apps?

Although we have no idea if Apple plans on holding a Spring hardware event or even its annual summer WWDC developer ’ s conference , we are starting to have a clearer idea of what ’ s coming than we did a couple weeks ago .
That ’ s because 9to5Mac has been posting a series of stories based on information gleaned from the next version of iOS .
Weirdly enough , a lot of yesterday ’ s leaks from iOS weren ’ t so much about iOS itself as they were about accessories for the iPhone .
For example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to detect oxygen levels , track sleep , and let users share watchfaces .
I use the Apple Watch for sleep tracking now with Sleep++ .
Hopefully with official support Apple will automate some of the stuff I have to do manually every night , like putting it into “ theater ” mode .
An alert warning that battery life is low an hour or two before bedtime would also be smart — and has been rumored .
Heck , as long as I ’ m wishing , it sure would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of API access to third party sleep apps like Sleep++ that it gives to its own apps .
And a pony too — which is probably more likely than Apple opening up APIs to help apps it is Sherlocking compete on an even playing field .
Speaking of Apple accessories with special access to iOS features , we should soon be seeing a new version of Apple ’ s Powerbeats Bluetooth headphones .
And we got our first “ look ” at the rumored Apple-branded over-ear headphones in the form of the icons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am intrigued by the possibility of Apple releasing black headphones for the first time in ... forever ?
All of Apple ’ s and Beats ’ Bluetooth current headphones are quite good , but that doesn ’ t mean they don ’ t get a leg up on the competition thanks to their tight integration with iOS .
I am sympathetic to the argument that it ’ s Apple ’ s platform so it can do whatever it wants with it — but only to a point .
Finally , of special interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we got about trackpad support on the iPad : It ’ s a tiny detail , but it portends something important : Apple is planning on doing something more interesting than just slapping a mouse cursor on the screen and having it operate just like it does on a Mac .
If you ’ re hoping for more iOS-specific information , just as I was wrapping up the newsletter last night MacRumors came through with a serious of new leaks , which we rounded up here .
I think the biggest deal might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including @ -mentions and message retractions .
I ’ d tell you that we can expect more details on all of the above at Apple ’ s events , but obviously I can ’ t guess how Apple — or any tech company — plans on making announcements in the coming months .
And given the way the novel coronavirus appears to be escalating , its effect on product announcements shouldn ’ t be anybody ’ s main concern right now .
We ’ ve passed the point where tech companies ’ responses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they once were .
Up to now , big tech seemed to be somewhat more aggressive in its response than various local , state , and national governments .
Now calls for people to work from home are commonplace , all of Italy is locked down , and you don ’ t need me to tell you that the stock market lost its shit yesterday .
Here is some of our coverage from the past few days , led by our very excellent science team .
┏ New York will use low-wage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ┏ The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is exploring at-home COVID-19 tests in Seattle .
┏ The US has tested shockingly few people for the new coronavirus .
┏ Tech giants will keep paying hourly staff even if they are asked to stay home due to coronavirus .
┏ How cities are fighting coronavirus on public transportation .
┏ Wuhan students tried to boot remote learning app from the App Store by leaving bad reviews .
More from The Verge ┏ A major new Intel processor flaw could defeat encryption and DRM protections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flagship : 120Hz 1440p screen , periscope camera , orange leather .
Sam Byford looked at an early unit and came away impressed : ┏ The Moto 360 ( 2019 ) is a familiar blend of good hardware and bad software .
Barbara Krasnoff reviewed this Wear OS smartwatch , which if you didn ’ t know isn ’ t actually made by Motorola at all .
She got better battery life than I expected , but overall Wear OS can ’ t keep up with the competition .
┏ Images of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have leaked .
Looks real to me .
I ’ d like to see Google find a way to drive the price down even more aggressively than what it did last year with the Pixel 3A .
┏ Spotify ’ s redesigned homepage makes your favorites easier to access .
I think I like this update , but I hope Spotify doesn ’ t give in to the urge to turn this most-used section into a spot for self-promotion .
I do not and do not want to use Spotify to listen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was pleasantly surprised to see it had restrained itself from putting podcasts into this top slot .
Let ’ s see if it stays that way .
┏ Call of Duty : Warzone is a free battle royale game .
If you ’ re not a gamer , you might not realize what a colossus Call of Duty is .
A free battle royale game under that branding is a huge deal .

Although we have no idea if Apple plans on holding a Spring hardware event or even its annual summer WWDC developer’s conference, we are starting to have a clearer idea of what’s coming than we did a couple weeks ago. That’s because 9to5Mac has been posting a series of stories based on information gleaned from the next version of iOS.
Weirdly enough, a lot of yesterday’s leaks from iOS weren’t so much about iOS itself as they were about accessories for the iPhone. For example, the Apple Watch may soon be able to detect oxygen levels, track sleep, and let users share watchfaces. I use the Apple Watch for sleep tracking now with Sleep++. Hopefully with official support Apple will automate some of the stuff I have to do manually every night, like putting it into “theater” mode. An alert warning that battery life is low an hour or two before bedtime would also be smart — and has been rumored.
Heck, as long as I’m wishing, it sure would be keen if Apple offered the same level of API access to third party sleep apps like Sleep++ that it gives to its own apps. And a pony too — which is probably more likely than Apple opening up APIs to help apps it is Sherlocking compete on an even playing field.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers, software, and tech by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important tech news of the day from The Verge. You can read an archive of Processor newsletters here and subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here! Subscribe
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Speaking of Apple accessories with special access to iOS features, we should soon be seeing a new version of Apple’s Powerbeats Bluetooth headphones. And we got our first “look” at the rumored Apple-branded over-ear headphones in the form of the icons that will appear in iOS. I am intrigued by the possibility of Apple releasing black headphones for the first time in ...forever?
All of Apple’s and Beats’ Bluetooth current headphones are quite good, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get a leg up on the competition thanks to their tight integration with iOS. I am sympathetic to the argument that it’s Apple’s platform so it can do whatever it wants with it — but only to a point.
Finally, of special interest to me are the small extra details we got about trackpad support on the iPad:
One difference may be that the pointer disappears automatically after a few seconds of not touching the connected mouse or trackpad, a concession to the touch-first experience of the iPad. It would reappear when the user attempts to move the cursor again.
It’s a tiny detail, but it portends something important: Apple is planning on doing something more interesting than just slapping a mouse cursor on the screen and having it operate just like it does on a Mac.
I’d tell you that we can expect more details on all of the above at Apple’s events, but obviously I can’t guess how Apple — or any tech company — plans on making announcements in the coming months. And given the way the novel coronavirus appears to be escalating, its effect on product announcements shouldn’t be anybody’s main concern right now.
Coronavirus
We’ve passed the point where tech companies’ responses to the Coronavirus are quite as notable as they once were. Up to now, big tech seemed to be somewhat more aggressive in its response than various local, state, and national governments. Now calls for people to work from home are commonplace, all of Italy is locked down, and you don’t need me to tell you that the stock market lost its shit yesterday.
(Speaking of ...shit, I am just as baffled as everybody else that people are apparently hoarding toilet paper. Apologies for the unsolicited and seemingly tangential advice, but here goes: get over whatever squeamishness you might have about it and buy a bidet toilet seat. They’re cheap, easy to install, and get you way cleaner. The bonus is that whatever TP you already have will suddenly last four times longer.)
Here is some of our coverage from the past few days, led by our very excellent science team.
Verge Deal of the day Apple’s AirPods Pro are $30 off at Amazon Normally $250, the Apple AirPods Pro wireless earbuds are down to $220 at Amazon. Compared to the standard AirPods, these feature better sound quality and noise cancellation. We’ve seen these drop a bit lower in price before, but that’s a pretty rare occurrence. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy . Prices displayed are based on the MSRP at time of posting.
More from The Verge
┏ Oppo announces Find X2 Pro flagship: 120Hz 1440p screen, periscope camera, orange leather. Sam Byford looked at an early unit and came away impressed:
The same is true of the screen, which is clearly one of the best panels available in a phone — if not the best. It’s a 6.7-inch 3168x1440 OLED display with curved edges, HDR10+ support, and a refresh rate of 120Hz, putting it up there with the Galaxy S20. Unlike Samsung’s latest flagship, however, you can use the 120Hz mode at the full 1440p resolution, and Oppo also dynamically adjusts the refresh rate based on on-screen content. There’s an optical in-display fingerprint sensor and a small hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera.
┏ The Moto 360 (2019) is a familiar blend of good hardware and bad software. Barbara Krasnoff reviewed this Wear OS smartwatch, which if you didn’t know isn’t actually made by Motorola at all. She got better battery life than I expected, but overall Wear OS can’t keep up with the competition.
The question is: Is it worth the money? If you compare it to something like Samsung’s 40mm Active 2, then the Moto 360 doesn’t seem like much of a bargain. Samsung’s watch also features a 1.2-inch always-on OLED display with 5ATM water resistance (so you can go swimming with it). It offers slightly more RAM (1.5GB) and half the storage (4GB). It sells for about $280, while the third-gen Moto 360, at $350, costs $70 more.
┏ Images of the Pixel 4A in a fabric case may have leaked. Looks real to me. I’d like to see Google find a way to drive the price down even more aggressively than what it did last year with the Pixel 3A.
┏ Spotify’s redesigned homepage makes your favorites easier to access. I think I like this update, but I hope Spotify doesn’t give in to the urge to turn this most-used section into a spot for self-promotion. I do not and do not want to use Spotify to listen to podcasts, for example, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it had restrained itself from putting podcasts into this top slot. Let’s see if it stays that way.


theverge--2020-03-10--Jack Dorsey bought himself more time as Twitter CEO, but it might not matter

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On Thursday , after Jack Dorsey ’ s first public comments since he was targeted by activist investor Elliott Management , I suggested that the real drama was just beginning .
On some level , for reasons we ’ ll get into , this may be true .
But on another level it was dead wrong .
The fight some of us expected between Elliott and Twitter did not materialize .
Instead , Twitter folded like a card table .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Dorsey will remain CEO ... for now .
Twitter now has two new independent board members — Elliott ’ s Jesse Cohn , who had been leading the company ’ s charge against Twitter , and Egon Durban , the co-CEO of Silver Lake .
A third new board member is coming later .
Among the new board members ’ tasks will be the formation of a committee “ that will evaluate a succession plan with Dorsey.
” To the extent that you consider Dorsey ’ s continuation critical to Twitter ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But there ’ s reason to believe that the victory could be short-lived .
Scott Galloway , a New York University professor , podcaster , and Twitter shareholder , had called for Dorsey ’ s ouster last year .
In a ( sadly broken ) Twitter thread , he laid out his own view of what ’ s likely to happen .
Noting the lightning speed at which Twitter capitulated — giving up three board seats within five business days of the first reports that Elliott had targeted the company — Galloway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their advantage .
What might that mean ?
Hiring a recruiter to find a new CEO , goes one thought .
Taking the company off the public market , goes another .
“ Silver Lake does not buy shares in tech firms , it takes them private , ” Galloway tweeted .
“ This was first step toward that end.
” In the meantime , Dorsey ’ s board has given him aggressive new goals : growing its user base by at least 20 percent this year , accelerating revenue growth , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Perhaps Dorsey will hit all those numbers and save his job .
Twitter has , to its credit , been absolutely indispensable as a source of reliable information during the spread of COVID-19 .
Twitter shines when it ’ s amplifying high-quality news during times of crisis , and the past couple weeks it has largely lived up to its potential .
At the same time , the stock market suffered its biggest drop on Monday since 2008 , prompting fears of a global recession .
( Italy , the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown for nearly all citizens . )
Twitter may have the wind at its back from a product perspective , but the larger economic trends could be working against it .
And that ’ s why I think that , on balance , Elliott ’ s Twitter gambit is far from over .
The barbarians once at the gate are now in the boardroom .
And if the past five days are any indication , it may not be long before they ’ re running it .
Today in news that could affect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trending up : Microsoft announced that it will donate $ 1 million to a new regional COVID-19 response fund in Puget Sound , where it is headquartered .
Trending up : Amazon , Apple , Google , Facebook , Microsoft , and Twitter will all keep paying hourly staff even if they are asked to stay home due to coronavirus .
This is the right thing to do .
Here ’ s what Microsoft had to say about the decision .
And here are Google ’ s thoughts .
State Department officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus — including some pushed by Russia — is rampant across social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter .
But the government seems cagey about reporting the details to the companies involved .
( Rebecca Heilweil and Shirin Ghaffary / Recode ) Coronavirus misinformation is still spreading in some Facebook groups , despite the company ’ s larger crackdown on the content .
Private groups present a particular challenge to content moderators on the platform .
( Brandy Zadrozny / NBC ) Facebook is temporarily banning ads selling medical face masks .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims about the coronavirus in product listings on the platform .
( Kang-Xing Jin / Facebook ) Unfortunately , The Verge found plenty of masks for sale , including some going for $ 1,000 .
( Makena Kelly / The Verge ) People on Nextdoor are spreading misinformation about the coronavirus , linking its spread to homelessness , eating meat , and not using tea tree oil as a sanitizer .
( Caroline Haskins / BuzzFeed ) The level of uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus — what is happening and what people can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompting people to try and find answers collectively .
The process doesn ’ t always produce good results , according to crisis informatics experts .
( Kate Starbird / Medium ) Facebook banned all non-essential business travel for employees .
It also moved job interviews to video-conferencing due to coronavirus concerns .
( Rob Price / Business Insider ) Apple is allowing most of its employees to work from home .
CEO Tim Cook called the coronavirus outbreak an “ unprecedented event ” and a “ challenging moment.
” ( Mark Gurman / @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York and New Jersey to stay home until April due to coronavirus concerns .
( Bryan Menegus / Gizmodo ) Airbnb is also mandating work from home in the Bay Area .
( Tyler Sonnemaker / Business Insider ) Y Combinator is hosting its 30th Demo Day online due to coronavirus concerns .
The presentations will be pre-recorded and sent to investors on March 23rd .
Kang-Xing Jin is one of Facebook ’ s longest-serving employees — and now he ’ s leading the company ’ s coronavirus response .
As the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jin — the company ’ s head of health — is getting more attention than usual .
( Issie Lapowsky / Protocol ) The Gates Foundation is going to begin offering home testing kits for the coronavirus to people in the Seattle area .
The program does not yet have a start date .
( Nicole Wetsman / The Verge ) Postmates is starting no contact deliveries to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus .
Users are now being prompted to input a drop-off locations for their food and goods .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus isn ’ t deterring people from dating .
In fact , Tinder has been popping .
( Julia Reinstein / BuzzFeed ) ⭐Twitter put its new “ manipulated media ” label on a deceptively edited video of Joe Biden .
White House social media director Dan Scavino shared the video , which was then retweeted by Trump .
Here ’ s Cecilia Kang of The New York Times : It was the first time that Twitter applied a policy announced in February against fake and misleading videos .
Facebook , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as misinformation , angering the Biden campaign .
“ Facebook ’ s malfeasance when it comes to trafficking in blatantly false information is a national crisis in this respect , ” Greg Schultz , Mr. Biden ’ s campaign manager , said in a statement .
“ It is also an unconscionable act of putting profit above not just our country , but every country , ” he added .
“ Facebook won ’ t say it , but it is apparent to all who have examined their conduct and policies : They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to that end , are willing to serve as one of the world ’ s most effective mediums for the spread of vile lies.
” Coronavirus misinformation is spreading rapidly around the world , despite an aggressive effort by social media companies to stop it .
The key thing to focus on here , to my mind , is virality .
I don ’ t worry that some people are posting misinformation .
I worry if it gets to 1 million views .
( Sheera Frenkel , Davey Alba and Raymond Zhong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of political ads on Facebook didn ’ t have key details about who paid for them , according to experts at New York University .
The researchers discovered major gaps in Facebook ’ s ad archive that could “ enable a malicious advertiser to avoid accurate disclosure of their political ads.
” ( Tony Romm and Isaac Stanley-Becker / Washington Post ) AT & T is cooperating with the Justice Department in the Google probe .
The company has shared its position that Google is stifling competition in the advertising space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ / The Wall Street Journal ) Internet shutdowns might seem like something that couldn ’ t occur in the United States , but if the president determines there ’ s a sufficient threat , they could happen .
Jessica Rosenworcel , a member of the Federal Communications Commission , says we need to review Section 706 of the Communications Act , which gives the president these broad powers .
( Jessica Rosenworcel / The Washington Post ) Australia ’ s information commissioner is suing Facebook over allegedly breaching the privacy of over 300,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal .
The commissioner alleges data collected by Facebook was passed onto the This is Your Digital Life app by Cambridge Analytica for political profiling .
( Josh Taylor / The Guardian ) Grindr ’ s Chinese parent company Kunlun is selling off the app for $ 608 million .
The move comes after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ( CFIUS ) asked Kunlun to divest from Grindr , citing concerns about how the company handles personal data .
( Echo Wang , Chibuike Oguh / Reuters ) The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Information Technology divest from StayNTouch , a maker of hotel operational software .
Trump said the StayNTouch acquisition could threaten US national security .
( Sean O ’ Neill / Skift ) ⭐ NBCUniversal quietly sold off its entire $ 500 million stake in Snap last year .
As entertainment giants pour billions into new streaming services , they are taking a hard look at their portfolios .
Alex Weprin at The Hollywood Reporter has the story : Amazon is working on a cure for the common cold .
The top secret effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christina Farr / CNBC ) TikTokers are going viral live-streaming themselves while they sleep .
The trend is also popular on Twitch .
( Taylor Lorenz / The New York Times ) Facebook appointed Nancy Killefer and Tracey T. Travis to its board of directors .
Killefer has a background in the US government and Travis was CFO at Estée Lauder .
( Facebook ) WhatsApp is the most popular social media platform in Africa .
Its rise has spawned knock-off versions created by third-party developers .
( Yomi Kazeem / Quartz ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from DoorDash because so many people were trying to order food while connected to the corporate network .
It ’ s one of many unexpected issues of tons of people suddenly working from home .
( Jacob Rossi / Twitter ) Wash Your Lyrics is “ a new tool that automatically pairs the lyrics to a song of your choice with instructions on how to wash your hands properly , ” Jon Porter reports .
When I went to use it today , the servers were overloaded .
Perhaps you ’ ll have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wash those hands .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and survival strategies for Jack Dorsey : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

On Thursday, after Jack Dorsey’s first public comments since he was targeted by activist investor Elliott Management, I suggested that the real drama was just beginning. On some level, for reasons we’ll get into, this may be true. But on another level it was dead wrong. The fight some of us expected between Elliott and Twitter did not materialize. Instead, Twitter folded like a card table.
Twitter Inc. will appoint three new directors to its board and create a committee to review its leadership and governance, as part of an agreement with activist investor Elliott Management Corp. and private equity firm Silver Lake. The pact leaves Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey in place. Silver Lake will also make a $1 billion investment in the social media company, which Twitter plans to use to fund part of its first ever share buyback, set at $2 billion.
The lone, notable concession there is that Dorsey will remain CEO ... for now. Twitter now has two new independent board members — Elliott’s Jesse Cohn, who had been leading the company’s charge against Twitter, and Egon Durban, the co-CEO of Silver Lake. A third new board member is coming later.
Among the new board members’ tasks will be the formation of a committee “that will evaluate a succession plan with Dorsey.”
Twitter presented this news as a victory.
“Twitter serves the public conversation, and our purpose has never been more important. Silver Lake’s investment in Twitter is a strong vote of confidence in our work and our path forward,” Dorsey said in the statement. “We welcome the support of Egon and Jesse, and look forward to their positive contributions as we continue to build a service that delivers for customers, and drives value for stakeholders,” he added.
To the extent that you consider Dorsey’s continuation critical to Twitter’s future, it is a victory. But there’s reason to believe that the victory could be short-lived.
Scott Galloway, a New York University professor, podcaster, and Twitter shareholder, had called for Dorsey’s ouster last year. In a (sadly broken) Twitter thread, he laid out his own view of what’s likely to happen.
Noting the lightning speed at which Twitter capitulated — giving up three board seats within five business days of the first reports that Elliott had targeted the company — Galloway speculated that the new investors would press their advantage. What might that mean? Hiring a recruiter to find a new CEO, goes one thought. Taking the company off the public market, goes another. “Silver Lake does not buy shares in tech firms, it takes them private,” Galloway tweeted. “This was first step toward that end.”
In the meantime, Dorsey’s board has given him aggressive new goals: growing its user base by at least 20 percent this year, accelerating revenue growth, and gaining market share as a digital advertiser.
Perhaps Dorsey will hit all those numbers and save his job. Twitter has, to its credit, been absolutely indispensable as a source of reliable information during the spread of COVID-19. Twitter shines when it’s amplifying high-quality news during times of crisis, and the past couple weeks it has largely lived up to its potential.
At the same time, the stock market suffered its biggest drop on Monday since 2008, prompting fears of a global recession. (Italy, the world’s eighth-largest economy, entered a mandatory lockdown for nearly all citizens.) Twitter may have the wind at its back from a product perspective, but the larger economic trends could be working against it.
And that’s why I think that, on balance, Elliott’s Twitter gambit is far from over. The barbarians once at the gate are now in the boardroom. And if the past five days are any indication, it may not be long before they’re running it.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: Microsoft announced that it will donate $1 million to a new regional COVID-19 response fund in Puget Sound, where it is headquartered.
Outbreak
On the misinformation front:
State Department officials are claiming that disinformation related to the coronavirus — including some pushed by Russia — is rampant across social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. But the government seems cagey about reporting the details to the companies involved. (Rebecca Heilweil and Shirin Ghaffary / Recode)
Coronavirus misinformation is still spreading in some Facebook groups, despite the company’s larger crackdown on the content. Private groups present a particular challenge to content moderators on the platform. (Brandy Zadrozny / NBC)
Facebook is temporarily banning ads selling medical face masks. The company already prohibits people from making health claims about the coronavirus in product listings on the platform. (Kang-Xing Jin / Facebook)
The level of uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus — what is happening and what people can do about it — is feeding anxiety and prompting people to try and find answers collectively. The process doesn’t always produce good results, according to crisis informatics experts. (Kate Starbird / Medium)
On the travel front:
Facebook banned all non-essential business travel for employees. It also moved job interviews to video-conferencing due to coronavirus concerns. (Rob Price / Business Insider)
On the office front:
Apple is allowing most of its employees to work from home. CEO Tim Cook called the coronavirus outbreak an “unprecedented event” and a “challenging moment.” (Mark Gurman / Bloomberg)
Amazon told employees in New York and New Jersey to stay home until April due to coronavirus concerns. (Bryan Menegus / Gizmodo)
Airbnb is also mandating work from home in the Bay Area. (Tyler Sonnemaker / Business Insider)
Y Combinator is hosting its 30th Demo Day online due to coronavirus concerns. The presentations will be pre-recorded and sent to investors on March 23rd.
Elsewhere:
Kang-Xing Jin is one of Facebook’s longest-serving employees — and now he’s leading the company’s coronavirus response. As the company works to contain misinformation about the virus, Jin — the company’s head of health — is getting more attention than usual. (Issie Lapowsky / Protocol)
The Gates Foundation is going to begin offering home testing kits for the coronavirus to people in the Seattle area. The program does not yet have a start date. (Nicole Wetsman / The Verge)
Postmates is starting no contact deliveries to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Users are now being prompted to input a drop-off locations for their food and goods. (Nick Statt / The Verge)
Coronavirus isn’t deterring people from dating. In fact, Tinder has been popping. (Julia Reinstein / BuzzFeed)
Governing
⭐Twitter put its new “manipulated media” label on a deceptively edited video of Joe Biden. White House social media director Dan Scavino shared the video, which was then retweeted by Trump. Here’s Cecilia Kang of The New York Times:
It was the first time that Twitter applied a policy announced in February against fake and misleading videos. Facebook, however, did not remove or flag the video as misinformation, angering the Biden campaign. “Facebook’s malfeasance when it comes to trafficking in blatantly false information is a national crisis in this respect,” Greg Schultz, Mr. Biden’s campaign manager, said in a statement. “It is also an unconscionable act of putting profit above not just our country, but every country,” he added. “Facebook won’t say it, but it is apparent to all who have examined their conduct and policies: They care first and foremost about money and, to that end, are willing to serve as one of the world’s most effective mediums for the spread of vile lies.”
Coronavirus misinformation is spreading rapidly around the world, despite an aggressive effort by social media companies to stop it. The key thing to focus on here, to my mind, is virality. I don’t worry that some people are posting misinformation. I worry if it gets to 1 million views. (Sheera Frenkel, Davey Alba and Raymond Zhong / The New York Times)
Tens of thousands of political ads on Facebook didn’t have key details about who paid for them, according to experts at New York University. The researchers discovered major gaps in Facebook’s ad archive that could “enable a malicious advertiser to avoid accurate disclosure of their political ads.” (Tony Romm and Isaac Stanley-Becker / Washington Post)
AT&T is cooperating with the Justice Department in the Google probe. The company has shared its position that Google is stifling competition in the advertising space. (Brent Kendall and Drew FitzGerald / The Wall Street Journal)
Internet shutdowns might seem like something that couldn’t occur in the United States, but if the president determines there’s a sufficient threat, they could happen. Jessica Rosenworcel, a member of the Federal Communications Commission, says we need to review Section 706 of the Communications Act, which gives the president these broad powers. (Jessica Rosenworcel / The Washington Post)
Australia’s information commissioner is suing Facebook over allegedly breaching the privacy of over 300,000 Australians caught up in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The commissioner alleges data collected by Facebook was passed onto the This is Your Digital Life app by Cambridge Analytica for political profiling. (Josh Taylor / The Guardian)
Grindr’s Chinese parent company Kunlun is selling off the app for $608 million. The move comes after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) asked Kunlun to divest from Grindr, citing concerns about how the company handles personal data. (Echo Wang, Chibuike Oguh / Reuters)
The Trump Administration also demanded that Beijing Shiji Information Technology divest from StayNTouch, a maker of hotel operational software. Trump said the StayNTouch acquisition could threaten US national security. (Sean O’Neill / Skift)
Industry
⭐ NBCUniversal quietly sold off its entire $500 million stake in Snap last year. As entertainment giants pour billions into new streaming services, they are taking a hard look at their portfolios. Alex Weprin at The Hollywood Reporter has the story:
As for NBCUniversal’s Snap investment, a NBCU source says the company is still committed to its Snap relationship, and is producing more programming than ever for the platform, including four daily shows slated to run on Snap during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. NBCU and Snap launched a joint venture, Indigo, in 2017, promising to create original scripted programming for Snapchat’s mobile audience with partners including Jay and Mark Duplass’ DBP Donut studio. NBC veteran Lauren Anderson ran the JV until she jumped to Amazon Studios, where she now oversees content for free streaming service IMDb TV. The Indigo JV will continue, as will an advertising partnership between the companies.
Amazon is working on a cure for the common cold. The top secret effort is called “Project Gesundheit.” (Christina Farr / CNBC)
TikTokers are going viral live-streaming themselves while they sleep. The trend is also popular on Twitch. (Taylor Lorenz / The New York Times)
Facebook appointed Nancy Killefer and Tracey T. Travis to its board of directors. Killefer has a background in the US government and Travis was CFO at Estée Lauder. (Facebook)
WhatsApp is the most popular social media platform in Africa. Its rise has spawned knock-off versions created by third-party developers. (Yomi Kazeem / Quartz)
Facebook’s VPN IP was banned from DoorDash because so many people were trying to order food while connected to the corporate network. It’s one of many unexpected issues of tons of people suddenly working from home. (Jacob Rossi / Twitter)
And finally...
Wash Your Lyrics is “a new tool that automatically pairs the lyrics to a song of your choice with instructions on how to wash your hands properly,” Jon Porter reports.
When I went to use it today, the servers were overloaded. Perhaps you’ll have better luck.
In the meantime, wash those hands.
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