Washington state and San Francisco are banning large gatherings to help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The bans are a way to create social distancing, which may help people avoid coming into contact with others who might be sick. The Verge reports: Gatherings of more than 250 people in the Seattle area are prohibited through the end of March,…
Tag: seattle
Google Tells All North America Staff To Work From Home
Alphabet’s Google told its staff in North America to not go into their offices unless they have to, becoming one of the latest companies seeking to protect workers from the spreading coronavirus. From a report: The Mountain View, California-based tech giant is “recommending” workers stay home until at least April 10, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. The company…
Amazon Is Now Selling Its Cashierless Store Tech To Other Retailers
Amazon is now offering its “Just Walk Out” technology to other retailers. “The technology uses a combination of cameras, sensors, computer vision techniques and deep learning to allow customers to shop, then leave the store without waiting in line to pay,” reports TechCrunch. It’s the same tech that Amazon uses in its “Go” cashierless convenience stores and Amazon’s newly launched Amazon…
Amazon Tells Employees In New York and New Jersey To Work From Home To Prevent Coronavirus Spread
Amazon on Monday asked employees at its New York and New Jersey offices to work from home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. This comes as the company told employees at its offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Seattle area to work from home, following reports that an Amazon employee in Seattle tested positive for the virus….
Seattle’s Patient Zero Spread Coronavirus Despite Ebola-Style Lockdown
First known U.S. case offers lessons in how and how not to fight the outbreak. From a report: The man who would become Patient Zero for the new coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. appeared to do everything right. He arrived Jan. 19 at an urgent-care clinic in a suburb north of Seattle with a slightly elevated temperature and a cough he’d…
Stanford, Others Switch To Online Classes Temporarily Amid Coronavirus Fears
Stanford University canceled in-person classes for the final two weeks of the quarter, switching to online instruction amid rising concern about the coronavirus outbreak. From a report: As the coronavirus first reported in China spreads in the United States, several schools have taken this step as a precaution, hoping to avoid further infections on campus. The University of Washington, which has…
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Promises Home-Testing Kits for Coronavirus
An anonymous reader quotes the Seattle Times:
Testing for the novel coronavirus in the Seattle area will get a huge boost in the coming weeks as a project funded by Bill Gates and his foundation begins offering home-testing kits that will allow people who fear they may be infected to swab their noses and send the samples back for analysis. Results, which…
Are Virtual Conferences Better Than Real-World Conferences?
Fast Company’s Mark Sullivan argues that cancelling this year’s tech conferences could have a silver lining — by encouraging a movement toward virtual conferences: There are developers across the U.S. and around the world who get shut out when the conferences get sold out. Even more of them simply can’t afford the admission fee (last year’s WWDC was $1599) and travel…
Amazon Employee At Seattle Headquarters Tests Positive For Coronavirus
An Amazon employee at the company’s Seattle headquarters has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and has subsequently been sent to quarantine. CNET reports: The online retail giant has about 55,000 employees in the Seattle area, and reportedly said people working in close contact with the affected person have been notified. The employee went home sick on Feb. 25 and hasn’t…
Jury Convicts Ex-Microsoft Worker in Digital Currency Scheme
A jury on Tuesday convicted a former Microsoft worker of wire fraud and other charges in what prosecutors described as a scheme to steal $10 million in digital currency. From a report: The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle said 25-year-old Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Kvashuk helped test Microsoft’s online retail sales platform. He was accused of stealing digital currency such as…