theverge--2020-07-08--Doctors are better at treating COVID-19 patients now than they were in March

Share All sharing options for : Doctors are better at treating COVID-19 patients now than they were in March In early March , most doctors in the United States had never seen a person sick with COVID-19 .
Four months later , nearly every emergency room and intensive care physician in the country is intimately familiar with the disease .
In that time , they ’ ve learned a lot about how best to treat patients .
But in some cases , they ’ re still taking the same approach they did in the spring .
“ There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and so much that ’ s the same , ” says Megan Ranney , an emergency physician and associate professor at the Brown University Department of Emergency Medicine .
“ There ’ s so much that ’ s different , and so much that ’ s the same.
” For the first few months of the pandemic , recommendations for every incremental decision made in a hospital were changing faster than they ever have before .
“ You almost couldn ’ t keep up — from one day to the next , your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change .
It was really disorienting for doctors and nurses , ” Ranney says .
Information spread between colleagues , through medical education blogs and podcasts , and on social media .
Doctors talked about new research on Twitter and shared new strategies in Facebook groups and on WhatsApp .
If a suggestion that floated by a doctor in a Facebook group was low-risk and seemed like it might be helpful , it could be put into practice immediately .
“ If it ’ s a small change , they could start using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
That ’ s how the now-common practice of asking patients with COVID-19 to flip onto their stomachs spread : through word-of-mouth and on social media .
When someone is on their back , their organs squish their lungs and make it harder for their airways to fully expand .
When someone is on their stomach , their lungs have more room to fill up with air .
The advice started circulating through the medical community before there was a formal , published study on the practice .
Testing it out wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t dangerous to patients ) , and it was easy to do .
“ There ’ s this possibility that it could be positive , and there were a lot of stories about it having a positive effect , ” Ranney says .
“ So , it spread in a much more organic and quick way , because it was something that we could do , but we weren ’ t worried it would hurt patients.
” Doctors like Seth Trueger , an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough oxygen to avoid needing a ventilator .
“ I started jokingly call it ‘ tummy time , ’ ” he says .
Studies are starting to validate those observations , finding that patients who spent time on their stomachs were , in fact , better off .
Since March , physicians have also figured out other ways to help severely ill patients avoid ventilation .
“ We appreciate that it ’ s probably not a great thing for these patients , and we ’ ve developed other ways to get people high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hudspeth , the COVID response inpatient floor lead at Boston Medical Center .
For example , doctors are turning to nasal cannulas , which are noninvasive prongs that blow oxygen into the nose , before a ventilator .
“ We ’ ve developed other ways to get people high levels of oxygen.
” They have better medications for hospitalized patients now , too .
Since March , doctors have cycled through a few different options — like hydroxychloroquine , which turned out not to be effective .
Now , they ’ re primarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears to help COVID-19 patients recover more quickly , and the steroid dexamethasone , which helps improve the survival rate for patients on ventilators .
“ Many intensive care units and many hospitals have created their own standard order sets , or standard therapies , for people with COVID-19 , ” Ranney says .
Those shift as new evidence comes out around different medications .
That ’ s not unusual , Ranney says .
Hospitals regularly change the drugs they use for conditions like flu and pneumonia as new data comes out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ change practice so quickly , ” she says .
“ That ’ s just the reality of a global pandemic , with a disease we ’ ve never seen before.
” Most of the changes in doctors ’ strategies over the past few months have been in patients who are severely ill .
If someone is sick enough to be hospitalized with COVID-19 but doesn ’ t need to be in intensive care , there still isn ’ t much doctors can do for them .
They ’ ll get fluids to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oxygen if they need it .
Doctors will try to keep their fever down and monitor them to see if they get sicker , but that ’ s about it .
“ It ’ s just those basic things , ” Ranney says .
Doctors now are more vigilant to the threat from blood clots , which have appeared in many COVID-19 patients over the past months .
Because testing is more available in hospitals than it was earlier this year , they ’ ll also confirm that a moderately ill patient actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them unnecessary treatments .
But active interventions for patients with less severe symptoms are still around the same as they were back in March .
“ We ’ re still kind of in this watchful waiting , ” she says .
Active interventions for patients with less severe symptoms are still around the same as they were back in March One lingering question , Hudspeth says , is figuring out how to keep those moderately ill patients from becoming severely ill. Steroids may be helpful earlier on , he says , as could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though those strategies are still under investigation .
“ Part the challenge we face at the present moment is that the moderate patients are often where we would want to intervene , ” he says .
Changes to treatment strategies for patients who are not severely sick have been harder to come by — in part because it ’ s riskier to try something new in that group .
If someone isn ’ t dangerously sick , there isn ’ t as much to gain from using an experimental treatment that may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so doctors are less likely to take risks .
“ We ’ re more likely to try stuff with sicker patients , ” Ranney says .
“ And their families are more likely to consent to a clinical trial.
” Despite the open issues around COVID-19 treatments , the rate of new information is slowing down .
Doctors aren ’ t shifting their practices as quickly as they were back in March and April , and Trueger says he thinks the next few months may be relatively stable .
Doctors might get new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less helpful , but other common best practices might be more entrenched .
“ I don ’ t think things are going to change as rapidly as the changes we had up front , when we were really flying half blind , ” he says .

In early March, most doctors in the United States had never seen a person sick with COVID-19. Four months later, nearly every emergency room and intensive care physician in the country is intimately familiar with the disease. In that time, they’ve learned a lot about how best to treat patients. But in some cases, they’re still taking the same approach they did in the spring.
“There’s so much that’s different, and so much that’s the same,” says Megan Ranney, an emergency physician and associate professor at the Brown University Department of Emergency Medicine.
“There’s so much that’s different, and so much that’s the same.”
For the first few months of the pandemic, recommendations for every incremental decision made in a hospital were changing faster than they ever have before. “You almost couldn’t keep up — from one day to the next, your practice would change and your protocols would change. It was really disorienting for doctors and nurses,” Ranney says.
Information spread between colleagues, through medical education blogs and podcasts, and on social media. Doctors talked about new research on Twitter and shared new strategies in Facebook groups and on WhatsApp. If a suggestion that floated by a doctor in a Facebook group was low-risk and seemed like it might be helpful, it could be put into practice immediately. “If it’s a small change, they could start using it the next day,” she says.
That’s how the now-common practice of asking patients with COVID-19 to flip onto their stomachs spread: through word-of-mouth and on social media. When someone is on their back, their organs squish their lungs and make it harder for their airways to fully expand. When someone is on their stomach, their lungs have more room to fill up with air. The advice started circulating through the medical community before there was a formal, published study on the practice.
Testing it out wouldn’t have many downsides (it wasn’t dangerous to patients), and it was easy to do. “There’s this possibility that it could be positive, and there were a lot of stories about it having a positive effect,” Ranney says. “So, it spread in a much more organic and quick way, because it was something that we could do, but we weren’t worried it would hurt patients.”
Doctors like Seth Trueger, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University, saw the position help patients get enough oxygen to avoid needing a ventilator. “I started jokingly call it ‘tummy time,’” he says. Studies are starting to validate those observations, finding that patients who spent time on their stomachs were, in fact, better off.
A team helps turn a COVID-19 patient onto their stomach. Photo by John Moore / Getty Images
Since March, physicians have also figured out other ways to help severely ill patients avoid ventilation. “We appreciate that it’s probably not a great thing for these patients, and we’ve developed other ways to get people high levels of oxygen,” says James Hudspeth, the COVID response inpatient floor lead at Boston Medical Center. For example, doctors are turning to nasal cannulas, which are noninvasive prongs that blow oxygen into the nose, before a ventilator.
“We’ve developed other ways to get people high levels of oxygen.”
They have better medications for hospitalized patients now, too. Since March, doctors have cycled through a few different options — like hydroxychloroquine, which turned out not to be effective. Now, they’re primarily using remdesivir, an antiviral drug that appears to help COVID-19 patients recover more quickly, and the steroid dexamethasone, which helps improve the survival rate for patients on ventilators. “Many intensive care units and many hospitals have created their own standard order sets, or standard therapies, for people with COVID-19,” Ranney says. Those shift as new evidence comes out around different medications.
That’s not unusual, Ranney says. Hospitals regularly change the drugs they use for conditions like flu and pneumonia as new data comes out. “What’s unusual is to change practice so quickly,” she says. “That’s just the reality of a global pandemic, with a disease we’ve never seen before.”
Most of the changes in doctors’ strategies over the past few months have been in patients who are severely ill. If someone is sick enough to be hospitalized with COVID-19 but doesn’t need to be in intensive care, there still isn’t much doctors can do for them. They’ll get fluids to make sure they stay hydrated and are given oxygen if they need it. Doctors will try to keep their fever down and monitor them to see if they get sicker, but that’s about it.
“It’s just those basic things,” Ranney says. Doctors now are more vigilant to the threat from blood clots, which have appeared in many COVID-19 patients over the past months. Because testing is more available in hospitals than it was earlier this year, they’ll also confirm that a moderately ill patient actually does have COVID-19 — and avoid giving them unnecessary treatments. But active interventions for patients with less severe symptoms are still around the same as they were back in March. “We’re still kind of in this watchful waiting,” she says.
Active interventions for patients with less severe symptoms are still around the same as they were back in March
One lingering question, Hudspeth says, is figuring out how to keep those moderately ill patients from becoming severely ill. Steroids may be helpful earlier on, he says, as could artificial antibody treatments that block the virus, though those strategies are still under investigation. “Part of the challenge we face at the present moment is that the moderate patients are often where we would want to intervene,” he says.
Changes to treatment strategies for patients who are not severely sick have been harder to come by — in part because it’s riskier to try something new in that group. If someone isn’t dangerously sick, there isn’t as much to gain from using an experimental treatment that may have a chance of causing harm, so doctors are less likely to take risks. “We’re more likely to try stuff with sicker patients,” Ranney says. “And their families are more likely to consent to a clinical trial.”


theverge--2020-07-08--Amazon will start listing names and addresses of Marketplace sellers to combat counterfeiting

Amazon will start publicly listing the names and addresses of US-based third-party sellers on its Marketplace platform as a measure to fight counterfeiters , according to a report from Business Insider .
The change was announced in a note sent to sellers on Wednesday , and the change goes into effect on September 1st .
“ These features help customers learn more about the businesses of a seller and the products that they are selling , ” the note says , according to a copy obtained by Business Insider .
“ We are making this change to ensure there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help customers make informed shopping decisions.
” The change in policy will make it harder to stay an anonymous seller on Marketplace , but it also means customers will know exactly which individual or entity they ’ re buying form and where that business is located .
In a statement given to The Verge , Amazon confirmed the policy change .
“ Over the years , we have developed many ways for sellers to share more about their business , including through features like the seller profile pages , ‘ Store ’ pages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maker Profile ’ pages , ” a company spokesperson says .
“ These features help customers learn more about sellers ’ businesses and their products .
Beginning September 1 , we will also display sellers ’ business name and address on their Amazon.com seller profile page to ensure there is a consistent baseline of seller information to help customers make informed shopping decisions.
” Business Insider notes that the suggestion to provide more transparency around e-commerce transactions came from a January counterfeiting report from the Department of Homeland Security .
“ To increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly improve their pre-sale identification of third-party sellers so that buyers can make informed decisions , potentially factoring in the likelihood of being sold a counterfeit or IPR infringing merchandise , ” the report reads .
Amazon is escalating its fight against counterfeiters Amazon has long fought counterfeiters on Marketplace , which is now responsible for more than half of all of the company ’ s e-commerce sales .
The company has tried a number of tactics over the years , including monitoring suspicious listings and sellers using various automated software and taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prone to price gouging and other forms of fraud , like face masks and hand sanitizer , in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The company has also cut deals with some sellers , like Apple and Nike ( which ended its deal last year ) , to create dedicated storefronts for brands on its platform , although deals like those have had the adverse effect of kicking off legitimate third-party sellers in the process .
Last month , Amazon went so far as to launch a Counterfeit Crimes Unit made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experienced investigators , and data analysts ” to “ go on the offensive ” against counterfeiters .
As part of the announcement , Amazon said it spent $ 500 million last year to fight fraud , abuse , and counterfeit products , and that it took down 2.5 million potential bad actor accounts shut down 6 billion suspicious listings .
Part of the reason for Amazon ’ s aggressive enforcement here can also be attributed to its rocky relationship with the Trump administration , which stems in part from the ongoing feud between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the Bezos ’ ownership of The Washington Post .
In April , the Office of the US Trade Representative placed five of Amazon ’ s foreign websites on the annual “ notorious markets ” list , in effect labeling Amazon ’ s international businesses as hot spots for sales of counterfeits .
Amazon responded by claiming it was a victim of Trump ’ s vendetta against the company .
Nonetheless , Amazon has made a renewed effort in recent months to show that it takes counterfeiting seriously .

Amazon will start publicly listing the names and addresses of US-based third-party sellers on its Marketplace platform as a measure to fight counterfeiters, according to a report from Business Insider. The change was announced in a note sent to sellers on Wednesday, and the change goes into effect on September 1st.
“These features help customers learn more about the businesses of a seller and the products that they are selling,” the note says, according to a copy obtained by Business Insider. “We are making this change to ensure there is a consistent baseline of seller information to help customers make informed shopping decisions.” The change in policy will make it harder to stay an anonymous seller on Marketplace, but it also means customers will know exactly which individual or entity they’re buying form and where that business is located.
In a statement given to The Verge, Amazon confirmed the policy change. “Over the years, we have developed many ways for sellers to share more about their business, including through features like the seller profile pages, ‘Store’ pages for brand owners, and Handmade ‘Maker Profile’ pages,” a company spokesperson says. “These features help customers learn more about sellers’ businesses and their products. Beginning September 1, we will also display sellers’ business name and address on their Amazon.com seller profile page to ensure there is a consistent baseline of seller information to help customers make informed shopping decisions.”
Business Insider notes that the suggestion to provide more transparency around e-commerce transactions came from a January counterfeiting report from the Department of Homeland Security. “To increase transparency on this issue, platforms should significantly improve their pre-sale identification of third-party sellers so that buyers can make informed decisions, potentially factoring in the likelihood of being sold a counterfeit or IPR infringing merchandise,” the report reads.
Amazon is escalating its fight against counterfeiters
Amazon has long fought counterfeiters on Marketplace, which is now responsible for more than half of all of the company’s e-commerce sales. The company has tried a number of tactics over the years, including monitoring suspicious listings and sellers using various automated software and taking action against sellers of items that are prone to price gouging and other forms of fraud, like face masks and hand sanitizer, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company has also cut deals with some sellers, like Apple and Nike (which ended its deal last year), to create dedicated storefronts for brands on its platform, although deals like those have had the adverse effect of kicking off legitimate third-party sellers in the process.
Last month, Amazon went so far as to launch a Counterfeit Crimes Unit made up of “former federal prosecutors, experienced investigators, and data analysts” to “go on the offensive” against counterfeiters. As part of the announcement, Amazon said it spent $500 million last year to fight fraud, abuse, and counterfeit products, and that it took down 2.5 million potential bad actor accounts shut down 6 billion suspicious listings.
Part of the reason for Amazon’s aggressive enforcement here can also be attributed to its rocky relationship with the Trump administration, which stems in part from the ongoing feud between Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and President Trump over the Bezos’ ownership of The Washington Post. In April, the Office of the US Trade Representative placed five of Amazon’s foreign websites on the annual “notorious markets” list, in effect labeling Amazon’s international businesses as hot spots for sales of counterfeits. Amazon responded by claiming it was a victim of Trump’s vendetta against the company. Nonetheless, Amazon has made a renewed effort in recent months to show that it takes counterfeiting seriously.


theverge--2020-07-08--Harley Quinn shows superheroes are better when you don’t take them so seriously

Despite over a decade of very serious cinematic universes , it helps to remember that superhero fiction is , in fact , quite silly .
This is an empirical fact : it doesn ’ t matter who wears the batsuit , the mystique all falls away the second they have to do something mundane .
This is not limiting , but freeing : You can learn all sorts of things about the world once you stop taking yourself so seriously .
This is why Harley Quinn , the animated series streaming on DC Universe and airing on Syfy , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comic books you can catch right now .
Like Birds of Prey , the show follows Harley Quinn ( Kaley Cuoco ) as she tries to step out from under the shadow of her notorious , toxic ex , Joker ( Alan Tudyk ) .
In the first season , this manifests as Harley ’ s long , slow quest to join the Legion of Doom on her own merits , the chummy circle of supervillains that are taken seriously by the superhero community .
Gathering up a band of misfit supervillains like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clayface ( also Alan Tudyk ) Dr. Psycho ( Tony Hale ) , Frank the Plant ( J.B. Smoove ) and Poison Ivy ( Lake Bell ) , Harley tries bigger and bigger stunts , trying to acquire the accoutrements of serious villainy .
You know : a lair , a nemesis , all that jazz .
But because the show is animated , its canvas is much bigger than a live-action film ’ s .
It can use the entirety of the DC comics canon , from the Justice League to Darkseid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Snyder Cut ? )
, all with Harley Quinn ’ s trademark irreverence .
Everything is up for lambasting , from the fans who want a Snyder Cut to Batman himself .
( Especially Batman . )
And the show is better for it .
Harley Quinn is like a funhouse reflection of the DC Universe .
Watching it , you see familiar icons in a new light , and different aspects begin to surface .
What ’ s usually taken too seriously ( again , Batman ) is roundly mocked and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are often ignored ( female characters like Harley , Ivy , and Batgirl ) can shine — even if they have designs on world domination and probably shouldn ’ t run Gotham City .
For all of its jokes , Harley Quinn does take a lot of things seriously .
It ’ s an earnest and queer love story , a show about women supporting each other in male-dominated spaces , a character study of someone undergoing the long , slow process of reclaiming their agency after an abusive relationship .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the cartoony chaos of working out your issues while also inciting a prison riot , or goring hundreds of demons .
The series ’ recently-concluded second season does all this with a loving mashup and parody of a number of classic Batman comics , breathlessly tearing through homages to stories like ‘ No Man ’ s Land ” ( a loose inspiration for The Dark Knight Rises ) and the 2015 reinvention of Batgirl as a DIY millennial vigilante .
It also ends on a question mark : while the ending works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly a desire to do more .
The show hasn ’ t yet been greenlit for a third season , and the DC Universe service stands on seemingly shaky ground as shows like Doom Patrol begin to make their way over to HBO Max .
If Harley Quinn is fated to be yet another show gone too soon , at least it ends on its own terms .
But it ’ s proven that there ’ s a lot to gain from taking the piss out of superhero era of entertainment .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cut out in the world without a new season of Harley Quinn there to endlessly make fun of it .

Despite over a decade of very serious cinematic universes, it helps to remember that superhero fiction is, in fact, quite silly. This is an empirical fact: it doesn’t matter who wears the batsuit, the mystique all falls away the second they have to do something mundane. This is not limiting, but freeing: You can learn all sorts of things about the world once you stop taking yourself so seriously. This is why Harley Quinn, the animated series streaming on DC Universe and airing on Syfy, is one of the best TV takes on comic books you can catch right now.
Like Birds of Prey, the show follows Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) as she tries to step out from under the shadow of her notorious, toxic ex, Joker (Alan Tudyk). In the first season, this manifests as Harley’s long, slow quest to join the Legion of Doom on her own merits, the chummy circle of supervillains that are taken seriously by the superhero community. Gathering up a band of misfit supervillains like King Shark (Ron Funches), Clayface (also Alan Tudyk) Dr. Psycho (Tony Hale), Frank the Plant (J.B. Smoove) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell), Harley tries bigger and bigger stunts, trying to acquire the accoutrements of serious villainy. You know: a lair, a nemesis, all that jazz.
But because the show is animated, its canvas is much bigger than a live-action film’s. It can use the entirety of the DC comics canon, from the Justice League to Darkseid and Apokolips (you know, from the Snyder Cut?), all with Harley Quinn’s trademark irreverence. Everything is up for lambasting, from the fans who want a Snyder Cut to Batman himself. (Especially Batman.) And the show is better for it.
Harley Quinn is like a funhouse reflection of the DC Universe. Watching it, you see familiar icons in a new light, and different aspects begin to surface. What’s usually taken too seriously (again, Batman) is roundly mocked and swept aside, and the characters that are often ignored (female characters like Harley, Ivy, and Batgirl) can shine — even if they have designs on world domination and probably shouldn’t run Gotham City.
For all of its jokes, Harley Quinn does take a lot of things seriously. It’s an earnest and queer love story, a show about women supporting each other in male-dominated spaces, a character study of someone undergoing the long, slow process of reclaiming their agency after an abusive relationship. It’s also vulgar and violent, delighting in the cartoony chaos of working out your issues while also inciting a prison riot, or goring hundreds of demons.


theverge--2020-07-09--Crash Bandicoot is getting a new mobile game by the creators of Candy Crush Saga

Candy Crush Saga creator King has revealed a new free-to-play mobile game for Android and iOS featuring the goofy orange marsupial Crash Bandicoot .
In Crash Bandicoot : On the Run , players are once again tasked with stopping recurring series antagonist Doctor Neo Cortex from taking control of the multiverse .
You won ’ t be required to play as the titular character ; instead , you can customize your own bandicoot as you progress through familiar stages and fight enemies from past installments .
The game will be a runner game , similar to the Temple Run , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the screen to move their character to collect coins or avoid bottomless pits .
But it ’ s not simply a Temple Run clone ; the trailer shows that the game plays out level by level and that we ’ ll be crafting weapons , throwing projectiles at enemies , and doing some light platforming by letting your bandicoot jump up to higher stages .
The trailer also implies that we ’ ll be able to play with friends somehow .
There ’ s no word on when the game will officially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preregister for the game on the Google Play Store or through the game ’ s website .
This marks the second new Crash Bandicoot announced this year after a seven-year wait for a new installment in the series .
Last June , it was confirmed that we would finally receive a true sequel to 1998 ’ s Crash Bandicoot : Warped , which is slated to launch on October 2nd .

Candy Crush Saga creator King has revealed a new free-to-play mobile game for Android and iOS featuring the goofy orange marsupial Crash Bandicoot.
In Crash Bandicoot: On the Run, players are once again tasked with stopping recurring series antagonist Doctor Neo Cortex from taking control of the multiverse. You won’t be required to play as the titular character; instead, you can customize your own bandicoot as you progress through familiar stages and fight enemies from past installments.
The game will be a runner game, similar to the Temple Run, where players can swipe left or right on the screen to move their character to collect coins or avoid bottomless pits. But it’s not simply a Temple Run clone; the trailer shows that the game plays out level by level and that we’ll be crafting weapons, throwing projectiles at enemies, and doing some light platforming by letting your bandicoot jump up to higher stages. The trailer also implies that we’ll be able to play with friends somehow.
Gameplay screenshots of Crash Bandicoot: On the Run. Image: Activision
There’s no word on when the game will officially launch, but Android users can now preregister for the game on the Google Play Store or through the game’s website.


theverge--2020-07-09--Tetris is getting a daily competitive game show with cash prizes

The Tetris mobile app is getting a massive reboot , and at the center is a new daily competition that turns the classic puzzler into a live game show .
It ’ s called Tetris Primetime , and it ’ s essentially a cross between an esports competition and an HQ Trivia-like live experience .
Every night , players can play for a chance at winning their share of a $ 5,000 prize pool .
Elsewhere , the app is also getting new modes , including battle royale .
“ Our goal from the beginning was to make the forever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethan Levy , “ a game that lasts for years and years , with modes for everybody.
” Tetris Primetime will air seven days a week ; there will be multiple iterations each day at 7:30PM local time , based in a handful of cities around the world , including Auckland , Perth , Moscow , Berlin , London , New York City , and Los Angeles .
Primetime will be available in 16 countries at launch ( the US , Canada , UK , Germany , Ireland , Spain , Switzerland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Africa , Russia , Chile , Australia , and New Zealand ) , with a total of $ 1 million earmarked for prizes in the first year .
What ties it all together is , much like HQ Trivia , a hosted video component that turns the game into a televised competition .
Primetime is hosted by New Zealand actor Millen Baird ( pictured above ) , and it will feature everything from previews of the night ’ s competition to highlight reels featuring the day ’ s best plays .
When you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s face will appear telling you all about what ’ s happening in the world of Primetime and Tetris in general .
Think of it like ESPN , but for Tetris .
“ It isn ’ t just a game and a competition , but also the TV channel that covers the competition , ” says Levy .
While Primetime is the anchor for the revamped mobile app , it ’ s also getting a number of other updates designed to keep people playing outside of the live show .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ’ s Tetris 99 on the Nintendo Switch — where 100 players compete to be the last one standing .
This is joined by Tetris Together , a mode featuring private multiplayer games and real-time voice chat .
The existing solo mode rounds out the offerings .
And unlike Primetime , all of these modes are available globally .
The update turns the unassuming Tetris app into a surprisingly robust experience .
It ’ s also just the start .
Levy says the team has plans for the future that include rolling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fortnite-style seasons with unique avatars and other cosmetics , and adding team modes to the competitive experience .
The app is available as a free download on both Android and iOS .

The Tetris mobile app is getting a massive reboot, and at the center is a new daily competition that turns the classic puzzler into a live game show. It’s called Tetris Primetime, and it’s essentially a cross between an esports competition and an HQ Trivia-like live experience. Every night, players can play for a chance at winning their share of a $5,000 prize pool. Elsewhere, the app is also getting new modes, including battle royale.
“Our goal from the beginning was to make the forever Tetris game,” says executive producer Ethan Levy, “a game that lasts for years and years, with modes for everybody.”
Tetris Primetime will air seven days a week; there will be multiple iterations each day at 7:30PM local time, based in a handful of cities around the world, including Auckland, Perth, Moscow, Berlin, London, New York City, and Los Angeles. Primetime will be available in 16 countries at launch (the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, South Africa, Russia, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand), with a total of $1 million earmarked for prizes in the first year. What ties it all together is, much like HQ Trivia, a hosted video component that turns the game into a televised competition.
Primetime is hosted by New Zealand actor Millen Baird (pictured above), and it will feature everything from previews of the night’s competition to highlight reels featuring the day’s best plays. When you open up the app, Baird’s face will appear telling you all about what’s happening in the world of Primetime and Tetris in general. Think of it like ESPN, but for Tetris. “It isn’t just a game and a competition, but also the TV channel that covers the competition,” says Levy.
While Primetime is the anchor for the revamped mobile app, it’s also getting a number of other updates designed to keep people playing outside of the live show. There’s Tetris Royale — a riff on last year’s Tetris 99 on the Nintendo Switch — where 100 players compete to be the last one standing. This is joined by Tetris Together, a mode featuring private multiplayer games and real-time voice chat. The existing solo mode rounds out the offerings. And unlike Primetime, all of these modes are available globally.
The update turns the unassuming Tetris app into a surprisingly robust experience. It’s also just the start. Levy says the team has plans for the future that include rolling out Primetime to more countries, introducing Fortnite-style seasons with unique avatars and other cosmetics, and adding team modes to the competitive experience.


theverge--2020-07-09--TikTok took down 49 million videos for content violations in just six months last year

TikTok took down more than 49 million videos from users across the globe during the second half of 2019 , the company revealed in a transparency report released this morning .
The videos represented less than 1 percent of all videos uploaded to TikTok during that time period .
TikTok says they were pulled for violations of either the app ’ s community guidelines or terms of service .
In December , the company says a quarter of content removals were for “ adult nudity and sexual activities.
” Another quarter of the videos were removed for “ depicting harmful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minors , ” such as drug use .
Harassment and hate speech made up a small number of the takedowns , just 3 percent and 1 percent of the total videos respectively .
More than 16 million of the pulled videos came from users in India .
The second biggest market for pulled videos was the United States , with 4.6 million videos pulled .
TikTok says it would not take down videos at China ’ s request These are huge numbers compared to YouTube .
YouTube reported removing around 14.7 million videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The United States and India were also YouTube ’ s top markets for video removals .
TikTok ’ s video removals by and large do not stem from government requests or copyright complaints .
TikTok says it only received around 1,300 copyright removal requests and 45 government takedown requests ( mostly from India ) , and it did not comply with all of those requests .
Like the first half of 2019 , the report indicates that TikTok did not receive any takedown requests or user information requests from China , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based .
“ We do not and have not removed any content at the request of the Chinese government , and would not do so if asked , ” a TikTok spokesperson told The Verge .
The spokesperson also said TikTok has “ never provided user data to the Chinese government , nor would we do so if asked.
” The details come from TikTok ’ s second transparency report , which covers from July 1st , 2019 through December 31st , 2019 .
The company released its first transparency report , covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late December .
TikTok has been under great scrutiny from US politicians concerned about the immense popularity of an app owned by a Chinese company .
Earlier this week , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo even floated the idea of banning TikTok over concerns that it could funnel users ’ private information to the Chinese government .
TikTok has denied ever providing information to China .
The transparency reports are in part meant to help build trust in TikTok .
This report is the first to expand on TikTok ’ s moderation policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer more detailed information in the future .
Late last year , the company switched to a “ new content moderation infrastructure ” that catalogs specific reasons for video removals , like those shared for December .
Moderation across social platforms has been a huge area of concern in recent years , as platforms like Facebook and Twitter have struggled to deal with hate speech , harassment , and misinformation .
TikTok ’ s transparency report seems to suggest that TikTok is mostly dealing with other issues — or , at least , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bulk of what it ’ s spotting — and that it ’ s generally catching problematic videos ahead of time .
The company says it automatically caught more than 98 percent of removed videos without them being reported ; close to 90 percent of those videos received no views .

TikTok took down more than 49 million videos from users across the globe during the second half of 2019, the company revealed in a transparency report released this morning.
The videos represented less than 1 percent of all videos uploaded to TikTok during that time period. TikTok says they were pulled for violations of either the app’s community guidelines or terms of service. In December, the company says a quarter of content removals were for “adult nudity and sexual activities.” Another quarter of the videos were removed for “depicting harmful, dangerous, or illegal behavior by minors,” such as drug use. Harassment and hate speech made up a small number of the takedowns, just 3 percent and 1 percent of the total videos respectively.
More than 16 million of the pulled videos came from users in India. The second biggest market for pulled videos was the United States, with 4.6 million videos pulled.
TikTok says it would not take down videos at China’s request
These are huge numbers compared to YouTube. YouTube reported removing around 14.7 million videos during the same time period in 2019. The United States and India were also YouTube’s top markets for video removals.
TikTok’s video removals by and large do not stem from government requests or copyright complaints. TikTok says it only received around 1,300 copyright removal requests and 45 government takedown requests (mostly from India), and it did not comply with all of those requests. Like the first half of 2019, the report indicates that TikTok did not receive any takedown requests or user information requests from China, where its parent company, Bytedance, is based.
“We do not and have not removed any content at the request of the Chinese government, and would not do so if asked,” a TikTok spokesperson told The Verge. The spokesperson also said TikTok has “never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked.”
The details come from TikTok’s second transparency report, which covers from July 1st, 2019 through December 31st, 2019. The company released its first transparency report, covering the first half of 2019, in late December.
TikTok has been under great scrutiny from US politicians concerned about the immense popularity of an app owned by a Chinese company. Earlier this week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo even floated the idea of banning TikTok over concerns that it could funnel users’ private information to the Chinese government. TikTok has denied ever providing information to China.
The transparency reports are in part meant to help build trust in TikTok. This report is the first to expand on TikTok’s moderation policies, and TikTok says it’ll offer more detailed information in the future. Late last year, the company switched to a “new content moderation infrastructure” that catalogs specific reasons for video removals, like those shared for December.


theverge--2020-07-09--Canon announces the EOS R5, an 8K-shooting pro mirrorless camera

Canon has announced the EOS R5 , by far the highest-end mirrorless camera it ’ s ever made .
Following Canon ’ s solid entry into full-frame mirrorless with 2018 ’ s EOS R and last year ’ s cheaper EOS RP , the R5 is a serious pro-level flagship with a price tag to match .
At $ 3,899 without a lens , this is now Canon ’ s second most expensive camera behind the new 1D X Mark III DSLR .
The R5 is built around a 45-megapixel sensor with a native ISO range of 100-51,200 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncropped 8K RAW video at 29.97 fps in 4:2:2 10-bit color , as well as uncropped 4K DCI at 59.94 fps , representing a major upgrade on the limited video capabilities of previous EOS R models .
Canon says the R5 can shoot continuously at 8K for around 20 minutes at room temperature .
When shooting still photos , the R5 operates at up to 12 fps with the mechanical shutter and 20 fps with the electronic shutter .
It has in-body image stabilization that Canon claims can provide up to 8 stops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Canon is also touting the R5 ’ s autofocus system , with dual-pixel coverage across almost 100 percent of the AF area and 1,053 zones , plus the capability for eye-tracking with dogs , cats , and birds as well as humans .
The R5 is visually near-indistinguishable from a typical Canon full-frame DSLR .
Canon showed a willingness to experiment with features like the touch-sensitive strip on the original EOS R , but it ’ s clear from the R5 ’ s design that it ’ s intended to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are used to DSLRs like the 5D series .
The biggest difference for them will be the electronic viewfinder , though the 120 fps refresh rate and 5.76-million dot resolution should help ease that transition .
There ’ s also a 3.2-inch 2.1-million dot vari-angle touchscreen .
If the R5 is a little out of reach or 8K isn ’ t a priority , Canon is also releasing a similar camera called the R6 at a lower price .
It has more or less the same design as the R5 but uses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark III , meaning its video capabilities top out at 4K/60 or 1080p/120 .
The viewfinder resolution drops to a still-solid 3.69 million dots , while the touchscreen is slightly smaller and lower-res at 3 inches and 1.62 million dots .
The R6 will cost $ 2,499 body-only .
Canon has four more native RF-mount lenses rolling out this year , including a 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 , a 600mm f/11 , an 800mm f/11 , and an 85mm f/2 .
The company is also introducing 1.4x and 2x teleconverters for RF lenses .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of July , and there ’ s a $ 4,999 kit option that comes with a 24-105mm f/4 lens .
The R6 , meanwhile , will ship toward the end of August with a $ 3,599 option that includes that same lens or a $ 2,899 kit with a 24-105mm f/4-7.1 .

Canon has announced the EOS R5, by far the highest-end mirrorless camera it’s ever made. Following Canon’s solid entry into full-frame mirrorless with 2018’s EOS R and last year’s cheaper EOS RP, the R5 is a serious pro-level flagship with a price tag to match. At $3,899 without a lens, this is now Canon’s second most expensive camera behind the new 1D X Mark III DSLR.
The R5 is built around a 45-megapixel sensor with a native ISO range of 100-51,200. The headline feature is that it can record uncropped 8K RAW video at 29.97 fps in 4:2:2 10-bit color, as well as uncropped 4K DCI at 59.94 fps, representing a major upgrade on the limited video capabilities of previous EOS R models. Canon says the R5 can shoot continuously at 8K for around 20 minutes at room temperature.
When shooting still photos, the R5 operates at up to 12 fps with the mechanical shutter and 20 fps with the electronic shutter. It has in-body image stabilization that Canon claims can provide up to 8 stops of correction in tandem with OIS lenses. Canon is also touting the R5’s autofocus system, with dual-pixel coverage across almost 100 percent of the AF area and 1,053 zones, plus the capability for eye-tracking with dogs, cats, and birds as well as humans.
The R5 is visually near-indistinguishable from a typical Canon full-frame DSLR. Canon showed a willingness to experiment with features like the touch-sensitive strip on the original EOS R, but it’s clear from the R5’s design that it’s intended to be a drop-in replacement for pro photographers and videographers who are used to DSLRs like the 5D series. The biggest difference for them will be the electronic viewfinder, though the 120 fps refresh rate and 5.76-million dot resolution should help ease that transition. There’s also a 3.2-inch 2.1-million dot vari-angle touchscreen.
If the R5 is a little out of reach or 8K isn’t a priority, Canon is also releasing a similar camera called the R6 at a lower price. It has more or less the same design as the R5 but uses the 20.1-megapixel sensor from the 1D X Mark III, meaning its video capabilities top out at 4K/60 or 1080p/120. The viewfinder resolution drops to a still-solid 3.69 million dots, while the touchscreen is slightly smaller and lower-res at 3 inches and 1.62 million dots. The R6 will cost $2,499 body-only.
Canon has four more native RF-mount lenses rolling out this year, including a 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1, a 600mm f/11, an 800mm f/11, and an 85mm f/2. The company is also introducing 1.4x and 2x teleconverters for RF lenses.


theverge--2020-07-09--Unreal Engine can now capture facial expressions via an official iOS app

A newly released iOS app from Epic Games lets developers record facial expressions that can be imported directly into the Unreal Engine , using little more than an iPhone ’ s front-facing camera .
The Live Link Face app , which is available to download now from the App Store , can stream this facial animation data in real time directly onto characters in Unreal Engine , which Epic hopes will make facial capture “ easier and more accessible ” for creators .
Epic ’ s app works by building on a couple of Apple ’ s existing technologies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the TrueDepth camera that Apple introduced with the iPhone X in 2017 .
It ’ s the same technology that powers Apple ’ s Animoji and Memoji , which map your facial expressions onto cartoon avatars .
Only now it can be used to animate avatars in the engine powering many of the world ’ s most popular games .
Epic isn ’ t the first company to have thought of using Apple ’ s technology as an animation tool .
It didn ’ t take long for developers to start making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s release , and we also saw it used to generate facial expressions for a Walking Dead augmented reality game in 2018 .
But having the functionality built directly into the Unreal Engine , which is used by millions of developers around the world , could give it a much larger reach , and make it much easier for artists to use it in their work .
Epic says that its Live Link Face app can work in situations ranging from an artist ’ s home office to a soundstage with multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rigs , and that it can natively adjust between them .
The app can be controlled remotely , so Epic says you could set it up to simultaneously start recording on multiple iPhones using a single command .
Once imported , the facial animation data can be adjusted in-engine .
If you ’ re a developer who ’ s interested in trying out the app for yourself , the Epic ’ s documentation for the feature can be found here .

A newly released iOS app from Epic Games lets developers record facial expressions that can be imported directly into the Unreal Engine, using little more than an iPhone’s front-facing camera. The Live Link Face app, which is available to download now from the App Store, can stream this facial animation data in real time directly onto characters in Unreal Engine, which Epic hopes will make facial capture “easier and more accessible” for creators.
Epic’s app works by building on a couple of Apple’s existing technologies, including its ARKit augmented reality platform, and the TrueDepth camera that Apple introduced with the iPhone X in 2017. It’s the same technology that powers Apple’s Animoji and Memoji, which map your facial expressions onto cartoon avatars. Only now it can be used to animate avatars in the engine powering many of the world’s most popular games.
Facial expressions can be captured and streamed to a character in real-time. Image: Epic Games
Epic isn’t the first company to have thought of using Apple’s technology as an animation tool. It didn’t take long for developers to start making facial capture apps after the iPhone X’s release, and we also saw it used to generate facial expressions for a Walking Dead augmented reality game in 2018. But having the functionality built directly into the Unreal Engine, which is used by millions of developers around the world, could give it a much larger reach, and make it much easier for artists to use it in their work.
Epic says that its Live Link Face app can work in situations ranging from an artist’s home office to a soundstage with multiple actors in motion capture suits with head-mounted rigs, and that it can natively adjust between them. The app can be controlled remotely, so Epic says you could set it up to simultaneously start recording on multiple iPhones using a single command. Once imported, the facial animation data can be adjusted in-engine.


theverge--2020-07-09--After the pandemic, doctors want their new robot helpers to stay

Share All sharing options for : After the pandemic , doctors want their new robot helpers to stay The robot arrived just a few days after Christine Kiernan , an orthopedic surgeon at Tullamore Hospital in Ireland , was diagnosed with COVID-19 .
She ’ d arranged for Violet , an autonomous ultraviolet cleaning machine , to start trials at Tullamore to help the hospital adapt to staff shortages caused by the pandemic .
But on Violet ’ s first day of work , Kiernan was already laid up in bed .
“ It was awful , I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who ’ s since fully recovered from the disease , tells The Verge .
“ Thankfully I wasn ’ t critically unwell , but you do just feel like crap for weeks .
Your energy ’ s gone for .
And I have two kiddies , babies really , and there ’ s no social distancing you can do from a one-year-old and a two-year-old.
” Robots are helping ease strains caused by staff shortages and rigorous cleaning regimes The unfortunate timing of her diagnosis aside , Kiernan ’ s experience with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like many health care workers around the world , her job has become significantly more challenging with the arrival of COVID-19 .
The normal busyness of hospital life has been supplemented by new complications : staff shortages , demands for personal protective equipment , and rigorous cleaning regimes to keep the virus at bay .
But machines like Violet , says Kiernan , have helped with these problems , proving their worth in a time of crisis .
And like other doctors The Verge spoke to , Kiernan says that when the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The reaction from staff , and anyone who ’ s seen it really , has been so positive , ” says Kiernan of Violet .
“ They love that we ’ re embracing technology , but also that the results it ’ s achieving are exceeding what we can do manually .
We ’ re protecting the staff , we ’ re protecting the patients , and we ’ re protecting the cleaners.
” Violet is the creation of Akara Robotics , a Dublin-based firm that builds robots providing social support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit , the firm began adapting an open-source machine named TurtleBot to work as a mobile disinfectant unit using ultraviolet light .
And in just 24 hours , it had created a working prototype for tests in hospitals like Tullamore .
Like all UV cleaning robots , Violet is essentially a huge lightbulb on wheels .
It trundles around , emitting ultraviolet light powerful enough to slice apart the genetic material inside viruses .
UV light is known to be effective against many coronaviruses , and studies suggest it works just as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for the current pandemic .
As a result , autonomous UV cleaning machines have been deployed not only in hospitals , but a variety of high-traffic spaces where infection is a risk , including airports , hotels , and food banks .
These machines have become the vanguard of pandemic automation , with sales for UV cleaning robots booming in recent months .
One US robotics firm Xenex tells The Verge its sales of its UV cleaning robots are up 600 percent compared to 2019 .
“ We began increasing production in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international colleagues about what was happening in China , ” Xenex CEO Morris Miller told The Verge over email .
“ We ’ ve seen a surge in orders from healthcare.
” In Tullamore , Violet sterilized the hospital ’ s CT scanning room , a key link in the chain of coronavirus treatment .
As a relatively small , 250-bed hospital , Tullamore only has two CT scanners .
But as these scans are one of the most effective ways to diagnose COVID-19 , it ’ s essential the machine is always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleaning is a must .
It takes human cleaners an hour to carefully disinfect the CT scanning room , says Kiernan , wiping down the equipment and surfaces .
So when the pandemic hit , and the room had to be cleaned after each use , “ a machine that used to be able to do 30 scans a day is down to seven.
” Violet , by comparison , can clean the room in just 15 minutes .
It uses machine vision powered by Intel ’ s Movidius AI chips to map @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as Kiernan notes , humans still have to wipe down the “ nooks and crannies the robot can ’ t get to , like behind the door handles.
” But by cutting cleaning times down from 1 hour to 15 minutes , the hospital ’ s capacity for CT scans increases four times over .
That sort of extra headroom , delivered while reducing risks to human cleaners , is too good to ignore , says Kiernan .
Tullamore is now expanding its trials of Violet to cover more spaces within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just a wheeled lightbulb pumping out deadly light : UV robots certainly show how limited health care automation is right now .
Machines that can actually look after patients like humans can are still a sci-fi dream , say doctors , but there is one simple characteristic that makes robots well-suited for work during a pandemic : their immunity .
Machines don ’ t cough , sneeze , or shake hands , so they can ’ t actively spread coronavirus around a hospital .
That means , in addition to ultraviolet cleaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been doing help minimize contact between potentially infectious humans .
Since the pandemic hit , we ’ ve seen robots delivering food and medicine to isolated patients , transporting test samples for diagnosis , and acting as receptionists .
In Antwerp University Hospital in Belgium , for example , robots have taken up positions on the literal frontline of health care .
Patients arriving at the hospital who suspect they have COVID-19 are greeted by a child-sized robot with stubby arms and a spherical torso .
The robot is made by Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and resold by Belgium firm Zorabots .
A camera on top of the machine checks each visitor ’ s temperature and verifies that they ’ re wearing a mask ( telling them to go away and get one if not ) .
It then scans a QR code generated by a questionnaire that patients have to fill out before entering the hospital .
This assesses whether they ’ re a high-risk case , and the robot then directs them to the appropriate ward within the hospital .
The robot began trials in Antwerp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiked in Belgium , says Michael Vanmechelen , who manages operating theaters at the hospital and has overseen the machines ’ integration .
But , says Vanmechelen , the automatons have actually become more useful now the hospital has resumed normal operations and the number of staff available to handle incoming patients has been reduced .
The machine didn ’ t slot into place right away , he says .
Initially , the camera that scanned patients ’ QR codes was too slow , frustrating people and creating more issues for human staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he says the robot receptionists now work like a dream , helping direct patients without exposing human staff to COVID-19 .
“ From now on it is working every day , ” Vanmechelen tells The Verge .
He says the bots are “ magnetic , ” drawing people straight toward them for processing into the hospital proper .
“ People are very attracted by it .
It ’ s really a bit of magic.
” That sense of robotic wonder has been useful at the Phoenix Children ’ s Hospital in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OhmniLabs have been used to entertain children confined to their rooms because of the pandemic .
A number of hospitals are using telepresence robots ( which are essentially iPads on wheels ) to help doctors see patients without risk of infection .
But in Phoenix , the robots are helping the young patients get out and about .
Using the telepresence robots , children have been able to take trips outside the hospital to places like fire stations ; to participate in the hospital ’ s close circuit TV channel , which beams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s rooms ; and to host visitors like family members , local sports stars , and even a caricature artist , who used the telepresence bots to sketch the children remotely and then send their portraits to the hospital to be printed out .
Having a physical avatar for these visits makes a huge psychological difference , staff tell The Verge .
When there ’ s a robot that can be steered around remotely , rather than a simple Skype call on a tablet , the children feel a greater sense of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ ve been a surprising asset to have during this time , ” Matt Bryson , who maintains electronic equipment for the children ’ s ward at the Phoenix Children ’ s Hospital , tells The Verge .
“ If we didn ’ t have the robots we wouldn ’ t have been able to have these special visits .
It ’ s a huge benefit for our patients , to have these experiences when they ’ re not allowed to experience a lot of other things.
” The Phoenix Children ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robots since 2018 , but since the pandemic hit and the machines have become more valuable , they ’ ve ordered two more to supplement their fleet .
The robots are now in use every day , says Stephanie Smith , who coordinates activities for the children , and the feedback has been enthusiastic .
“ Just yesterday , when one of the children was using the robot for a scavenger hunt with our staff , her mom said ‘ Thank you for spending the time with us , ’ ” says Smith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that connection.
” Making the most of a crisis Although COVID-19 has placed a tremendous strain on health care systems around the world , doctors told The Verge they were gratified that the pandemic had spurred these tests of new technologies .
“ We ’ re moving at a rate of five times the normal rate of innovation , ” Tullamore ’ s Kiernan tells The Verge .
“ The pandemic has actually enabled projects to happen .
The bureaucracy has been removed .
People are more willing to take a measured risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s try something.
’ In a safe environment , of course.
” Around the world , health care workers have had to change how they deliver care overnight , with new focuses on telemedicine and remote diagnosis .
For many , this has created an environment where new approaches are treated with less suspicion and more optimism .
In addition to the trial of Violet , Kiernan offers examples from her own department of orthopedics .
She says Tullamore hospital has gone from seeing over 100 patients in a typical morning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compensating by taking services online .
They now do physiotherapy sessions over Zoom , for example , and created a website that briefs patients ahead of hip and knee replacements and gets their consent for surgery .
Doing so in person before the pandemic hit would have taken a whole afternoon ; now , it just takes minutes .
“ If you ’ d tried to introduce that [ the website ] in normal times , well , just imagine the amount of people you ’ d have to get approval from , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vanmechelen agrees , adding that the need to deal with the specific problems presented by COVID-19 , like reducing infections from incoming patients , made the process of change more manageable .
Rather than simply trying to “ modernize ” the hospital on all fronts , he says , managers have been able to concentrate on individual challenges .
“ What took three months or even a year before , we developed in a week now.
” “ We had a problem that needed urgent solutions .
And that ’ s a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ What took three months or even a year before , we developed in a week now .
Because everyone was focused.
” It ’ s a truism that medical advances often flourish in times of crisis .
When the 1918 flu devastated the world a century ago , killing an estimated 50 million individuals or around 2.5 percent of the global population , the unprecedented speed and lethality of the virus pushed governments toward centralized health care .
A disease that cut through broad swathes of the public demanded a response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began offering their own health insurance and collecting medical data to better anticipate and track future outbreaks .
Right now , the world is facing a very different pandemic .
But there ’ s a similar opportunity for lessons to be learned — not just by accepting the helping hands of robots , but by creating more adaptable health services in general .
If not for this pandemic , then for the next one .
“ It ’ s coronavirus now but it could be something else in a few years , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of the changes that have happened now are going to stay .
”

Part of / A guide to the COVID-19 pandemic
The robot arrived just a few days after Christine Kiernan, an orthopedic surgeon at Tullamore Hospital in Ireland, was diagnosed with COVID-19. She’d arranged for Violet, an autonomous ultraviolet cleaning machine, to start trials at Tullamore to help the hospital adapt to staff shortages caused by the pandemic. But on Violet’s first day of work, Kiernan was already laid up in bed.
“It was awful, I’m not going to lie,” Kiernan, who’s since fully recovered from the disease, tells The Verge. “Thankfully I wasn’t critically unwell, but you do just feel like crap for weeks. Your energy’s gone for. And I have two kiddies, babies really, and there’s no social distancing you can do from a one-year-old and a two-year-old.”
Robots are helping ease strains caused by staff shortages and rigorous cleaning regimes
The unfortunate timing of her diagnosis aside, Kiernan’s experience with Violet was something of a revelation. Like many health care workers around the world, her job has become significantly more challenging with the arrival of COVID-19. The normal busyness of hospital life has been supplemented by new complications: staff shortages, demands for personal protective equipment, and rigorous cleaning regimes to keep the virus at bay.
But machines like Violet, says Kiernan, have helped with these problems, proving their worth in a time of crisis. And like other doctors The Verge spoke to, Kiernan says that when the pandemic is over, the robots should stay.
“The reaction from staff, and anyone who’s seen it really, has been so positive,” says Kiernan of Violet. “They love that we’re embracing technology, but also that the results it’s achieving are exceeding what we can do manually. We’re protecting the staff, we’re protecting the patients, and we’re protecting the cleaners.”
Clean, Lean, Virus-Killing Machine
Violet is the creation of Akara Robotics, a Dublin-based firm that builds robots providing social support in care homes. When the pandemic hit, the firm began adapting an open-source machine named TurtleBot to work as a mobile disinfectant unit using ultraviolet light. And in just 24 hours, it had created a working prototype for tests in hospitals like Tullamore.
Like all UV cleaning robots, Violet is essentially a huge lightbulb on wheels. It trundles around, emitting ultraviolet light powerful enough to slice apart the genetic material inside viruses. UV light is known to be effective against many coronaviruses, and studies suggest it works just as well on SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus strain responsible for the current pandemic. As a result, autonomous UV cleaning machines have been deployed not only in hospitals, but a variety of high-traffic spaces where infection is a risk, including airports, hotels, and food banks.
Ultraviolet light slices apart the genetic material inside viruses
These machines have become the vanguard of pandemic automation, with sales for UV cleaning robots booming in recent months. One US robotics firm Xenex tells The Verge its sales of its UV cleaning robots are up 600 percent compared to 2019. “We began increasing production in December when we started hearing reports from international colleagues about what was happening in China,” Xenex CEO Morris Miller told The Verge over email. “We’ve seen a surge in orders from healthcare.”
In Tullamore, Violet sterilized the hospital’s CT scanning room, a key link in the chain of coronavirus treatment. As a relatively small, 250-bed hospital, Tullamore only has two CT scanners. But as these scans are one of the most effective ways to diagnose COVID-19, it’s essential the machine is always ready for use. That means speedy cleaning is a must.
Violet uses ultraviolet light to kill viruses on potentially infectious surfaces. Image: Akara Robotics
It takes human cleaners an hour to carefully disinfect the CT scanning room, says Kiernan, wiping down the equipment and surfaces. So when the pandemic hit, and the room had to be cleaned after each use, “a machine that used to be able to do 30 scans a day is down to seven.”
Violet, by comparison, can clean the room in just 15 minutes. It uses machine vision powered by Intel’s Movidius AI chips to map and navigate its surrounding environment. Though, as Kiernan notes, humans still have to wipe down the “nooks and crannies the robot can’t get to, like behind the door handles.” But by cutting cleaning times down from 1 hour to 15 minutes, the hospital’s capacity for CT scans increases four times over.
That sort of extra headroom, delivered while reducing risks to human cleaners, is too good to ignore, says Kiernan. Tullamore is now expanding its trials of Violet to cover more spaces within the hospital.
Robots on the frontline
No hands, no brain, just a wheeled lightbulb pumping out deadly light: UV robots certainly show how limited health care automation is right now. Machines that can actually look after patients like humans can are still a sci-fi dream, say doctors, but there is one simple characteristic that makes robots well-suited for work during a pandemic: their immunity.
Machines don’t cough, sneeze, or shake hands, so they can’t actively spread coronavirus around a hospital. That means, in addition to ultraviolet cleaning, most of the jobs they’ve been doing help minimize contact between potentially infectious humans. Since the pandemic hit, we’ve seen robots delivering food and medicine to isolated patients, transporting test samples for diagnosis, and acting as receptionists.
In Antwerp University Hospital in Belgium, for example, robots have taken up positions on the literal frontline of health care. Patients arriving at the hospital who suspect they have COVID-19 are greeted by a child-sized robot with stubby arms and a spherical torso.
At Antwerp University Hospital, robots are used to screen potentially infectious patients arriving at the facility. Photo by Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP via Getty Images
The robot is made by Chinese firm Ubtech, though it is programmed and resold by Belgium firm Zorabots. A camera on top of the machine checks each visitor’s temperature and verifies that they’re wearing a mask (telling them to go away and get one if not). It then scans a QR code generated by a questionnaire that patients have to fill out before entering the hospital. This assesses whether they’re a high-risk case, and the robot then directs them to the appropriate ward within the hospital.
The robot began trials in Antwerp in May, right as coronavirus cases spiked in Belgium, says Michael Vanmechelen, who manages operating theaters at the hospital and has overseen the machines’ integration. But, says Vanmechelen, the automatons have actually become more useful now the hospital has resumed normal operations and the number of staff available to handle incoming patients has been reduced.
The machine didn’t slot into place right away, he says. Initially, the camera that scanned patients’ QR codes was too slow, frustrating people and creating more issues for human staff. But a quick hardware upgrade later, and he says the robot receptionists now work like a dream, helping direct patients without exposing human staff to COVID-19.
“From now on it is working every day,” Vanmechelen tells The Verge. He says the bots are “magnetic,” drawing people straight toward them for processing into the hospital proper. “People are very attracted by it. It’s really a bit of magic.”
That sense of robotic wonder has been useful at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona, where telepresence bots built by OhmniLabs have been used to entertain children confined to their rooms because of the pandemic. A number of hospitals are using telepresence robots (which are essentially iPads on wheels) to help doctors see patients without risk of infection. But in Phoenix, the robots are helping the young patients get out and about.
Using the telepresence robots, children have been able to take trips outside the hospital to places like fire stations; to participate in the hospital’s close circuit TV channel, which beams live game shows and quizzes into patient’s rooms; and to host visitors like family members, local sports stars, and even a caricature artist, who used the telepresence bots to sketch the children remotely and then send their portraits to the hospital to be printed out.
Phoenix Children’s Hospital uses telepresence robots to let special visitors spend time with children on the ward. Image: Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Having a physical avatar for these visits makes a huge psychological difference, staff tell The Verge. When there’s a robot that can be steered around remotely, rather than a simple Skype call on a tablet, the children feel a greater sense of connection to the outside world.
“They’ve been a surprising asset to have during this time,” Matt Bryson, who maintains electronic equipment for the children’s ward at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, tells The Verge. “If we didn’t have the robots we wouldn’t have been able to have these special visits. It’s a huge benefit for our patients, to have these experiences when they’re not allowed to experience a lot of other things.”
The Phoenix Children’s Hospital has actually had two telepresence robots since 2018, but since the pandemic hit and the machines have become more valuable, they’ve ordered two more to supplement their fleet. The robots are now in use every day, says Stephanie Smith, who coordinates activities for the children, and the feedback has been enthusiastic.
“Just yesterday, when one of the children was using the robot for a scavenger hunt with our staff, her mom said ‘Thank you for spending the time with us,’” says Smith. “It’s all about that connection.”
Making the most of a crisis
Although COVID-19 has placed a tremendous strain on health care systems around the world, doctors told The Verge they were gratified that the pandemic had spurred these tests of new technologies.
“We’re moving at a rate of five times the normal rate of innovation,” Tullamore’s Kiernan tells The Verge. “The pandemic has actually enabled projects to happen. The bureaucracy has been removed. People are more willing to take a measured risk approach that says ‘Okay, let’s try something.’ In a safe environment, of course.”
Around the world, health care workers have had to change how they deliver care overnight, with new focuses on telemedicine and remote diagnosis. For many, this has created an environment where new approaches are treated with less suspicion and more optimism.
In addition to the trial of Violet, Kiernan offers examples from her own department of orthopedics. She says Tullamore hospital has gone from seeing over 100 patients in a typical morning to around 20, with doctors and nurses compensating by taking services online. They now do physiotherapy sessions over Zoom, for example, and created a website that briefs patients ahead of hip and knee replacements and gets their consent for surgery. Doing so in person before the pandemic hit would have taken a whole afternoon; now, it just takes minutes.
“If you’d tried to introduce that [the website] in normal times, well, just imagine the amount of people you’d have to get approval from,” says Kiernan.
Belgium’s Vanmechelen agrees, adding that the need to deal with the specific problems presented by COVID-19, like reducing infections from incoming patients, made the process of change more manageable. Rather than simply trying to “modernize” the hospital on all fronts, he says, managers have been able to concentrate on individual challenges.
“What took three months or even a year before, we developed in a week now.”
“We had a problem that needed urgent solutions. And that’s a good environment for innovation,” says Vanmechelen. “What took three months or even a year before, we developed in a week now. Because everyone was focused.”
It’s a truism that medical advances often flourish in times of crisis. When the 1918 flu devastated the world a century ago, killing an estimated 50 million individuals or around 2.5 percent of the global population, the unprecedented speed and lethality of the virus pushed governments toward centralized health care. A disease that cut through broad swathes of the public demanded a response with the same breadth, so governments began offering their own health insurance and collecting medical data to better anticipate and track future outbreaks.
Right now, the world is facing a very different pandemic. But there’s a similar opportunity for lessons to be learned — not just by accepting the helping hands of robots, but by creating more adaptable health services in general. If not for this pandemic, then for the next one.


theverge--2020-07-09--Google Maps tests showing traffic lights in the US

In a new test , Google Maps is showing the location of traffic lights in cities around the US in its Android app .
The feature was initially spotted by Droid Life , and its existence has since been confirmed by Google .
“ To help people stay better informed on the road , we ’ re testing a Google Maps feature on Android that shows the location of traffic lights in select cities across the U.S , ” the company told The Verge .
Google Maps isn ’ t the first mapping app to start showing traffic light locations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added them last year with iOS 13 , according to Droid Life .
Apple ’ s Siri voice assistant even integrates them into its directions .
Instead of telling you to turn left after a certain number of feet , Siri can tell you to “ turn left at the next traffic light , ” in an attempt to make the voice assistant ’ s directions more natural-sounding and easier to understand .
Droid Life says that Google Maps doesn ’ t appear to be using the traffic lights as part of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This isn ’ t the first time Google Maps has shown traffic lights ( they ’ ve been available in Japan for a number of years now ) , but it ’ s a significant expansion for the feature .
Google is testing the feature in US cities including New York , San Francisco , Los Angeles , Chicago , and says it plans to expand it over time .

In a new test, Google Maps is showing the location of traffic lights in cities around the US in its Android app. The feature was initially spotted by Droid Life, and its existence has since been confirmed by Google. “To help people stay better informed on the road, we’re testing a Google Maps feature on Android that shows the location of traffic lights in select cities across the U.S,” the company told The Verge.
Google Maps isn’t the first mapping app to start showing traffic light locations in the US, after Apple Maps added them last year with iOS 13, according to Droid Life. Apple’s Siri voice assistant even integrates them into its directions. Instead of telling you to turn left after a certain number of feet, Siri can tell you to “turn left at the next traffic light,” in an attempt to make the voice assistant’s directions more natural-sounding and easier to understand. Droid Life says that Google Maps doesn’t appear to be using the traffic lights as part of its route guidance just yet, however.
Google Maps screenshots show the traffic light symbol on various intersections. Image: Droid Life