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| It’s Now Amazon’s Turn in the Spotlight | It’s Now Amazon’s Turn in the Spotlight |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| I’ll be chatting live on Twitter today at 3 p.m. Eastern time with Kara Swisher, a Times contributing opinion writer and a veteran technology journalist. | I’ll be chatting live on Twitter today at 3 p.m. Eastern time with Kara Swisher, a Times contributing opinion writer and a veteran technology journalist. |
| We’ll talk about how our relationship with technology and tech companies is changing in a pandemic, and answer your questions. Watch live @ShiraOvide. | We’ll talk about how our relationship with technology and tech companies is changing in a pandemic, and answer your questions. Watch live @ShiraOvide. |
| With millions of people stuck at home, many are relying on Amazon deliveries more than ever. But each order increases the health risks for the people who sort, package and deliver those goods. | With millions of people stuck at home, many are relying on Amazon deliveries more than ever. But each order increases the health risks for the people who sort, package and deliver those goods. |
| The Times tech reporters Karen Weise and Kate Conger detailed the resulting dilemma: The company says it is doing everything it can to protect those workers by separating workstations, sanitizing warehouses, giving people more time off and increasing pay to counter the higher risks. | The Times tech reporters Karen Weise and Kate Conger detailed the resulting dilemma: The company says it is doing everything it can to protect those workers by separating workstations, sanitizing warehouses, giving people more time off and increasing pay to counter the higher risks. |
| And yet some of those workers say the company isn’t doing enough, hasn’t made good on its promises or isn’t upfront with them about safety risks. | And yet some of those workers say the company isn’t doing enough, hasn’t made good on its promises or isn’t upfront with them about safety risks. |
| Other kinds of workers — doctors and home health aides, cleaners, grocery workers, postal employees — also have said their employers weren’t doing enough to protect them as they interact with others in a pandemic. | Other kinds of workers — doctors and home health aides, cleaners, grocery workers, postal employees — also have said their employers weren’t doing enough to protect them as they interact with others in a pandemic. |
| Maybe Amazon is doing a better job than others. Maybe not. The reality is there is rightfully significant attention on Amazon because it’s a powerful company reshaping how the world shops and how industries operate. | Maybe Amazon is doing a better job than others. Maybe not. The reality is there is rightfully significant attention on Amazon because it’s a powerful company reshaping how the world shops and how industries operate. |
| There are more than 50 Amazon facilities, out of the more than 500 it operates in the United States, in which at least one worker has tested positive for the coronavirus. | There are more than 50 Amazon facilities, out of the more than 500 it operates in the United States, in which at least one worker has tested positive for the coronavirus. |
| In their reporting, my colleagues found some Amazon workers who were angry about what they felt was poor communication and shifting messages on issues like who qualifies for paid time off. | In their reporting, my colleagues found some Amazon workers who were angry about what they felt was poor communication and shifting messages on issues like who qualifies for paid time off. |
| At first Amazon said workers could get paid sick leave if they had a confirmed coronavirus case, but testing has been limited in the United States. Amazon changed its policy, but the message hasn’t filtered down to all warehouses, Karen and Kate found. | At first Amazon said workers could get paid sick leave if they had a confirmed coronavirus case, but testing has been limited in the United States. Amazon changed its policy, but the message hasn’t filtered down to all warehouses, Karen and Kate found. |
| There’s no blueprint for how to manage a global pandemic, but there was a pattern to surging Amazon orders and worker safety concerns as the coronavirus spread from country to country. Once illness hit the United States, it’s surprising that Amazon — known for its military-like distribution efficiency — has been caught off guard, including by a lack of trust from some workers. | There’s no blueprint for how to manage a global pandemic, but there was a pattern to surging Amazon orders and worker safety concerns as the coronavirus spread from country to country. Once illness hit the United States, it’s surprising that Amazon — known for its military-like distribution efficiency — has been caught off guard, including by a lack of trust from some workers. |
| The feeling seems to be mutual. Last week a company memo reviewed by Vice News showed Amazon executives discussing strategies to discredit a worker who protested. | The feeling seems to be mutual. Last week a company memo reviewed by Vice News showed Amazon executives discussing strategies to discredit a worker who protested. |
| This impasse with Amazon workers was born in a pandemic, but has been a long time coming. Mistrust takes time to build. | This impasse with Amazon workers was born in a pandemic, but has been a long time coming. Mistrust takes time to build. |
| Other American tech superpowers have faced a moment when existential problems flared into crisis. Facebook’s cavalier attitudes about online abuse and people’s personal information simmered until they boiled over. Employee anxiety at Google, and distrust of its political neutrality, were encapsulated in the circumstances of one fired worker. | Other American tech superpowers have faced a moment when existential problems flared into crisis. Facebook’s cavalier attitudes about online abuse and people’s personal information simmered until they boiled over. Employee anxiety at Google, and distrust of its political neutrality, were encapsulated in the circumstances of one fired worker. |
| Now it’s Amazon’s turn in the spotlight. | Now it’s Amazon’s turn in the spotlight. |
| This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays. | This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays. |
| Brian X. Chen, our personal tech columnist, offers this guidance on Zoom: | Brian X. Chen, our personal tech columnist, offers this guidance on Zoom: |
| You may have heard that Zoom, the suddenly popular videoconferencing service, has been under fire for a number of privacy snafus. Security researchers, for example, recently found that malware could be injected into the Zoom app, allowing bad actors to gain control of your video camera; Zoom patched the exploit last week. | You may have heard that Zoom, the suddenly popular videoconferencing service, has been under fire for a number of privacy snafus. Security researchers, for example, recently found that malware could be injected into the Zoom app, allowing bad actors to gain control of your video camera; Zoom patched the exploit last week. |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | Updated June 22, 2020 |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| But security researchers have warned that this is just the beginning of Zoom’s privacy problems. The broader issue is that to make Zoom calls easier for people to join, the company at the outset created a weak foundation for security. The company circumvented traditional protocols for installing its software on Windows and Mac computers, creating security holes. | |
| I’ll have more to say about Zoom soon. But here’s some practical advice for now, based on my conversations with experts. If you still want to use Zoom, it’s safer to use it on a mobile device, like an iPad or smartphone, instead of on a Mac or Windows PC. | I’ll have more to say about Zoom soon. But here’s some practical advice for now, based on my conversations with experts. If you still want to use Zoom, it’s safer to use it on a mobile device, like an iPad or smartphone, instead of on a Mac or Windows PC. |
| That’s because mobile apps operate in a so-called sandboxed environment, meaning that they are limited in how they interact with other apps and files on your device. This makes it much more difficult for bad actors to grab your sensitive data or hijack your camera. | That’s because mobile apps operate in a so-called sandboxed environment, meaning that they are limited in how they interact with other apps and files on your device. This makes it much more difficult for bad actors to grab your sensitive data or hijack your camera. |
| In addition, apps served through the App Store or Google Play store undergo a review process by Apple and Google that includes an inspection for security vulnerabilities. | In addition, apps served through the App Store or Google Play store undergo a review process by Apple and Google that includes an inspection for security vulnerabilities. |
| After we discussed with my colleague Kevin Roose last week why the pandemic seems to be bringing out the best in everyone online, we heard from Greg Herbert in Orlando, Florida: | After we discussed with my colleague Kevin Roose last week why the pandemic seems to be bringing out the best in everyone online, we heard from Greg Herbert in Orlando, Florida: |
| My 5th grader, whose school started doing Zoom classes and “distance learning” last week, made the comment at dinner this whole transition to doing things virtual/online was “bringing out the best in everyone.” | My 5th grader, whose school started doing Zoom classes and “distance learning” last week, made the comment at dinner this whole transition to doing things virtual/online was “bringing out the best in everyone.” |
| When we asked him what he meant, he said, “The teachers aren’t yelling at us anymore!” | When we asked him what he meant, he said, “The teachers aren’t yelling at us anymore!” |
| The coronavirus is exposing inequality of digital access: Teachers at some schools across the United States say that fewer than half of their students are regularly participating in online classes. One problem in schools around the world is some families don’t have reliable internet access or computers at home. The longstanding gap between the internet have and have-nots is becoming stark as school closings amount to the world’s largest experiment in online learning. | The coronavirus is exposing inequality of digital access: Teachers at some schools across the United States say that fewer than half of their students are regularly participating in online classes. One problem in schools around the world is some families don’t have reliable internet access or computers at home. The longstanding gap between the internet have and have-nots is becoming stark as school closings amount to the world’s largest experiment in online learning. |
| Running alone, but together. Virtual races — in which runners complete a route on their own and record their results to compare with others’— are getting more popular as quarantines force cancellations of the real thing. This is happening in other sports, too, even among professionals, as the BBC and The Verge report. | Running alone, but together. Virtual races — in which runners complete a route on their own and record their results to compare with others’— are getting more popular as quarantines force cancellations of the real thing. This is happening in other sports, too, even among professionals, as the BBC and The Verge report. |
| Virtual social demands can still be exhausting. Relentless efforts to hang out online are creating “the bizarre feeling of being socially overwhelmed despite the fact that we’re staying as far away from each other as we can,” MIT Technology Review writes. | Virtual social demands can still be exhausting. Relentless efforts to hang out online are creating “the bizarre feeling of being socially overwhelmed despite the fact that we’re staying as far away from each other as we can,” MIT Technology Review writes. |
| Residents of a Buffalo, N.Y., neighborhood held a socially distant dance party where they danced on their lawns to the Rolling Stones. You go, man in the plaid shirt. You GO. (Thanks to my colleague Taylor Lorenz for this.) | Residents of a Buffalo, N.Y., neighborhood held a socially distant dance party where they danced on their lawns to the Rolling Stones. You go, man in the plaid shirt. You GO. (Thanks to my colleague Taylor Lorenz for this.) |
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