Smartphone tool helps users keep social distance

SAN FRANCISCO — Smartphone users have a new way to keep their distance  – a tool that lets them know when people are getting closer than pandemic guidelines recommend.

The Google-developed Sodar tool available this week taps into Android smartphone cameras to put users in the center of a white circle with a radius of about two meters, or 6.5 feet.


The perimeter, determined based on pandemic social distancing guidelines, is made using the same kind of augmented reality technology in smartphone games such as Pokemon Go.

Circles superimposed on surroundings move with users, keeping smartphones in the center. Users get a visual warning when they are within the potentially hazardous radius.




Sodar works through Google-made Chrome browsers on Android smartphones that support augmented reality, according to the California-based internet firm.

“This experiment uses (the application program interface) WebXR to visualize 2-meter social-distancing guidelines in your environment,” a message at the website said.


The tool came out of an “Experiments With Google” project on technology hacks to help people cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

Agence France-Presse

Silicon Valley perks up its ears for buzzy audio chat startup

It's a secret, almost. But Silicon Valley is buzzing over a new audio-chat social network which is struggling to keep people out even as it hits an eye-popping value.

The invitation-only platform called Clubhouse lets people drop in on conversations ranging from weighty topics such as artificial intelligence to light-hearted trivia contests.

Silicon Valley venture capital colossus Andreessen Horowitz reportedly invested $12 million in Clubhouse at a valuation of $100 million, edging out rivals eager to get into the hot startup.

Clubhouse has won devotees even though it remains in a "beta" test mode and only has some 1,500 users as it tunes its platform for the masses.

The service has struck a chord with people longing for a return to the time when people could casually engage new acquaintances in banter or discussion.

The startup has been helped by some celebrities such as actor Kevin Hart popping in to conversations which have been growing during the pandemic as people turn increasingly to social media.

"With social distancing, we're all so craving being out and meeting people that, for people who miss that, it's like a godsend," said Nathan Baschez, a business strategy specialist who accepted a Clubhouse invitation two months ago when there was just a single virtual room.

Clubhouse founders Paul Davison and Rohan Seth have been noticeably out of the media spotlight as they seek a niche for the new social platform, which has no website or media team. Andreessen Horowitz has not commented publicly.

- 'Dinner Party' -

Sheel Mohnot, a Silicon Valley investor who joined Clubhouse about six weeks ago, said he came out a cash winner in a trivia game being played in one room, and was the topic of a "discussion party" about a dating contest in which he was a participant.

"It really feels like a great dinner party," Mohnot said.

"It's a product I am really enjoying, at the expense of Netflix."

Mohnot conceded that Clubhouse is benefitting from users having more time available due to the pandemic keeping them at home. He estimated he spends about 15 hours weekly on the service.

"Normally, I have dinner plans several times a week and can't spend all that time talking with strangers on the internet," Mohnot said.

Clubhouse joins other startups vying for consumer attention as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft ramp up online meetings and collaboration offerings.

But in the case of Clubhouse it's not looking for the popular Silicon Valley term "eyeballs", since it frees users from needing to be in front of screens.

- Elitist or cautious? -

Some who haven't been admitted to the Clubhouse, and even some who have been invited, have called the platform elitist.

But users interviewed by AFP countered that Clubhouse is limiting users while it tunes the freshly launched service to handle the load.

If Clubhouse crashes after opening to the world, people might leave and not return.

"The reason it is locked down is not because they want to create a velvet-rope, VIP type atmosphere," said Baschez.

"The founders don't think like that. It does build the buzz, but I genuinely believe they don't like the buzz."

One room calling itself "Back of the Bus" underscores the notion that Clubhouse is more about conviviality than celebrities or events.

"Back of the Bus", favored by Mohnot among others, is a riotous, unrestrained chat where moderators make sure everyone has the chance to talk about anything -- other than tech.

When it opens to all, Clubhouse will likely face challenges including maintaining a sense of community; preventing abusive behavior, and dealing with misleading content.

It will also need to find a way to make money without tainting the experience.

"I think with the funding and celebrity relationship they have built, they won't die any time soon," said Bobby Thakkar, a tech industry product manager who confided that he spends 25 hours or more at Clubhouse weekly.

Agence France-Presse

France looks past Google, Apple for virus contact tracing

France, which has long been sceptical of the growing power of US tech titans, is seeking to bypass Apple and Google for a smartphone app to help trace people infected with the novel coronavirus.

The move, which leaves France relatively isolated in Europe alongside Britain and Norway, reflects differences on how such apps should be structured, who has access to sensitive data and their effectiveness.

A number of countries have already deployed "contact tracing" apps on smartphones that track a person's contacts and alert them if need be, generating vital information to help contain outbreaks and slow the spread of the virus as nations ease lockdowns and get back to work.

These apps can be based either on a decentralised or centralised architecture.

A decentralised architecture keeps the information about whom a person has been in contact with on the smartphone.

If the person declares themselves to have been infected by the coronavirus, then those people deemed to have been in close contact for an extended period receive a notification to isolate themselves and get tested.

In a centralised system the data is managed by an authority, say a national health service, that would have access to the data to ensure those who are exposed are indeed following the proper health and isolation recommendations.

Apple and Google banded together last month to develop coronavirus contact tracing technology that would work across their operating systems.

The technology, set to be released later this month, embraces a decentralised architecture that would enable smartphone users to control their own data, and choose whether to notify the authorities if they have been exposed.

- Titans setting the terms -

Numerous tech experts and privacy advocates prefer a decentralised option because of data privacy concerns, worried about governments establishing databases that could be used for surveillance, even after the pandemic.

But France, along with London, contest that argument and prefer a centralised architecture that will provide them with the information needed to ensure the spread of the disease is effectively contained.

Norway also opted for a centralised system for its "Smittestop" or "stop infection" app launched last month.


Being dependent on Apple and Google means "staying in an extremely restrictive framework for usage" of the data, said a source close to France's contract tracing effort.

"It is Google and Apple who are defining the debate" in what is essentially a public health issue, the source added.

To become an effective tool for public health authorities, a contact tracing app has to be widely used -- experts say by at least 60 percent of the population -- but also provide them with needed information about who is getting sick as well as where, which can be important for taking quick measures to close hotspots.

Decentralised apps that make use of the Bluetooth radios on smartphones can be built so they do not even record the location of where people are in contact.

Nations cannot easily go around Apple and Google and develop their own apps as Apple in particular makes it difficult to keep Bluetooth enabled in its operating system.

People would need to keep the app open at all times, an inconvenience that would likely lead to many people not having it running on their phones.

- Systems rolled out -

So far Apple has resisted pleas from France and other countries for help to get around that technical issue.

While the European Commission has not yet taken a formal position on the options, it acknowledges a decentralised system is better on data privacy grounds.

"If both approaches can be in conformity with data protection laws, from a point of view of minimising the collection of data, the decentralised approach is preferable as less data would be stored" on a centralised server, a Commission spokesman told AFP.

Several European countries are expected to roll out contact tracing apps in June, which should provide some indication as to the best strategies.

France hopes to have its app in operation on June 2, and the official leading its development has said it will work very well on an iPhone despite Apple's lack of cooperation.

The technology arm of Britain's National Health Service has been testing its centralised system on the Isle of Wight since May 5 and plans to unroll it nationwide in the coming weeks.

Germany has opted for a decentralised system compatible with the Apple/Google initiative that it hopes will be ready in several weeks.

Italy, which has also gone for a decentralised system, should have its app ready by the end of May, Innovation Minister Paola Pisano told the Corriere della Sera daily on Monday.

In Austria, the Red Cross has launched an app based on a centralised model that has 600,000 users, but it is expected to evolve into a decentralised application.

Switzerland is currently testing its decentralised app.

Agence France-Presse

Lebron James, Spotify, HBO among 2020 Webby Award winners

Jimmy Fallon, Spotify and HBO are among the 2020 Webby Award winners for internet excellence.

The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences announced the winners Tuesday.

Fallon’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” won a Webby for best social media for promoting a celebrity, while James was honored for his ESPN’s “Welcome to Bron Bron Land,” which took home the best user interface award.

This year’s Webby From Home is dedicated to honoring individuals and organizations who are using the internet in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Kristen Bell won for helping children understand the pandemic, while DJ D-Nice won artist of the year for his #ClubQuarantine sets on Instagram Live. Avi Schiffmann, a 17-year-old from Washington state, was honored for launching an early COVID-19 tracking database and site. John Krasinksi was also honored for his “Some Good News” show, which was created to uplift spirits after the pandemic.

Google and National Geographic won the most awards with 14 each. NASA came away with the best overall social presence.

Lil Nas X’s “Panini” won a Webby for people’s voice award for best art direction. Spotify scored an award for best use of online media, while HBO claimed best branded editorial experience.

Tom Hanks’ “#NiceTweets with Tom Hanks” won a people’s voice award for arts and entertainment.

Patton Oswalt will host the 24th annual Webby Awards’ beginning at 3 p.m. EDT.

___

This story has been corrected to show Fallon’s win was for social, not website, and that the celebration is called Webby from Home, not Webby Home Internet Celebration.

Associated Press

5 Benefits on How to Protect Your Mortgage With Life Insurance

For potential homebuyers and current homeowners, a home is a costly investment with a long-term commitment. That's why every homeowner carrying a mortgage needs to get life insurance. Life insurance that covers a mortgage is called mortgage life insurance or mortgage protection insurance. This kind of insurance is designed to protect the lender, just in case they are unable to pay for their monthly mortgage fees. In this article, let's highlight five benefits on how to protect your mortgage with life insurance.

1. May protect homeowners due to sudden unemployment

With Canada's unemployment rate fluctuating every year, sometimes homeowners might face unexpected job loss due to termination or disability. The benefit of having mortgage life insurance alleviates the stress and financial burden related to unemployment by covering the period when the homeowner is out of work. At Northwood Mortgage, we offer a series of mortgage life insurance options that target the specific time frame if a homeowner loses their job, falls ill, or becomes physically disabled, causing unemployment.

2. May protect homeowners due to unexpected death

If the homeowner dies, the mortgage life insurance will cover the remaining amount left on the mortgage. Along with unemployment, death in the family can cause financial strain, especially when the homeowner passes away. Mortgage life insurance is a great benefit because homeowners are assured that after death, the mortgage will not become their family's responsibility.

3. Mortgage life insurance frees up your budget

When it comes to having mortgage life insurance, homeowners can free up their budget by the funds they get from other insurance policies. For example, the funds received from a personal life insurance or employer benefits could be used for payments on other financial obligations such as car payments, other bills, and university tuition. What would usually go towards the mortgage can be spent wisely on other expenses because the homeowner has mortgage life insurance.

4. Mortgage life insurance is convenient

Another benefit that mortgage life insurance offers is convenience. By covering unemployment, death, and other bills, it is an added layer of security in case unexpected circumstances should occur. With all its benefits, it is also easy to qualify. To purchase a mortgage life insurance policy, homeowners do not require to submit to a life insurance medical exam. This is a very convenient benefit to have for sickly individuals. In case the homeowner is denied life insurance due to medical illness, the homeowner with mortgage life insurance is financially protected.

5.Mortgage life insurance accommodates new homebuyers

For potential first-time homebuyers who can only afford a small down payment, getting mortgage life insurance can secure the home of their dreams. They can use mortgage life insurance through the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation, which requires a 5% downpayment.

Northwood Mortgage
As you can see, choosing a mortgage insurance policy should be decided carefully. However, investing in mortgage insurance can safeguard you and your family's future in the long run.

At Northwood Mortgage, we have an expert staff of mortgage agents specializing in life insurance and mortgages in Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, and the GTA. We take the time to listen to your needs, and we cater our services to each client.

If you would like more information on mortgage insurance coverage and protection in Toronto and the GTA, we invite you to book a FREE consultation with one of our Northwood Mortgage agents by calling 416-969-8130 ext. 111, toll-free at 888-492-3690, or contact us here. Once we receive your request, one of our mortgage agents will contact you within 24-48 hours to arrange an appointment.

northwoodmortgage.com

Buzzfeed closes news operations in Britain, Australia

SYDNEY — Groundbreaking website Buzzfeed said on Thursday that it would be shuttering part of its loss-making news operations in Britain and Australia, as it scales back global ambitions to cut costs.

“For economic and strategic reasons, we are going to focus on news that hits big in the United States during this difficult period,” a company spokesperson said.


Many news outlets have been hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with plummeting advertising revenues and already struggling operations pushed deeper into the red.

Ten staff in Britain and four in Australia will be furloughed, in a move that is expected to become permanent.

The company will no longer cover local news in the two countries, but said: “In the UK, we still plan on retaining some employees who are focused on news with a global audience — social news, celebrity, and investigations.”

The four Australian posts were “no longer essential during this time of sharply limited resources,” the company added.

Once maligned as a funnel for little more than celebrity gossip, clickbait lists and cat pictures, Buzzfeed has developed into a news force to rival more established outlets.

“BuzzFeed gave us space to experiment with covering politics for a young audience,” Australian news editor Lane Sainty tweeted.

She lauded her staff’s work to “tackle important and often under-covered beats like abortion, LGBTQ rights, Indigenous affairs, immigration and internet culture.”

“I’ve always been grateful for that & very proud of our work.”

More cost-cutting measures are expected, including in the United States, where “workshare programs” are being touted as a way of avoiding furloughs.



“Those options need to meet our savings goals, be legally and logistically workable, and allow us to keep producing kinetic, powerful journalism,” Buzzfeed said.

This year “news will spend about $10 million more than it takes in,” it added.

Agence France-Presse

Coronavirus interrupts world’s longest-running cartoon

Production of the world’s longest-running cartoon and a mainstay of the Japanese weekend has been interrupted by the coronavirus, forcing the broadcast of re-runs for the first time in decades.

“Sazae-san”, which first aired in 1969, revolves around the life of Mrs. Sazae, a cheerful but klutzy full-time housewife who lives with her parents, husband, son, brother and sister.


The 30-minute episodes aired Sunday nights are very popular, and for many in Japan have come to denote the end of the weekend.

But the cartoon, recognized as the longest-running animated TV series by Guinness World Records, has been hampered by the outbreak of the virus, with animation dubbing halted to keep staff safe, broadcaster Fuji Television Network said.

“We will halt broadcast of new episodes of ‘Sazae-san’ for the time being from May 17 and instead air re-runs,” it announced on Sunday.

The network said upcoming broadcasts would be episodes from two years ago, adding it would announce a date for the resumption of new episodes as soon as possible.


It is the first time the network has been forced to air re-runs since 1975, when the economic effects of an earlier oil crisis lingered.

Japan has seen a comparatively small coronavirus outbreak with nearly 15,800 infections and 621 deaths.

The country is under a state of emergency that was extended last week until the end of May, though the government is considering lifting the measures early in parts of the country.

Agence France-Presse

Australian charged over 80s alleged hate crime murder of gay American

More than 30 years after American Scott Johnson was killed in a suspected gay hate crime in Australia, police said Tuesday they had arrested and charged a man with his murder.

Detectives arrested the 49-year-old in the leafy Sydney suburb of Lane Cove on Tuesday and laid murder charges the same day.

The suspect's name was not released.

The breakthrough in the cold case came two months after the victim's family doubled a police reward in the case to Aus$2 million (US$1.3 million).

The 27-year-old mathematician Johnson's naked body was found at the base of a cliff in the Sydney suburb of Manly in December 1988, and police at the time ruled his death a suicide.

But a coroner found in 2017 that it was likely Johnson had been killed in a hate crime, suggesting he was either pushed over the cliff or fell while trying to escape unidentified assailants.

The inquest found that gangs roamed Sydney at the time searching for gay men to attack, and had been known to rob or assault men at the "gay beat" where Johnson's folded clothing was discovered.

In 2018, police announced an Aus$1 million reward for information leading to an arrest in the case, which was doubled when Johnson's brother, Steve, matched the amount in March.

Steve Johnson, who had long pushed police to investigate his brother's death, said it was "remarkable" the alleged killer had been apprehended almost 32 years later.

"This is a very emotional day. Emotional for me, emotional for my family who... love Scott dearly," he said in a video statement.

"It's emotional, I'm sure, for the gay community for whom Scott had come to symbolise the many dozens of other gay men who lost their lives in the 1980s and '90s in a world full of anti-gay prejudice and hatred."

In 2018, New South Wales police acknowledged that at least 27 murders between the 1970s and 2000 were homophobic hate crimes, admitting the force had played a part in marginalising the LGBT community and enabling society's "acceptance of shocking violence directed at gay men" during the period.

"It is clear and beyond question that levels of violence inflicted upon gay men in particular were elevated, extreme and often brutal," police said at the time.

The suspect in Johnson's murder is due to appear in a local Sydney court on Wednesday.

Agence France-Presse

Original artwork for Led Zeppelin’s first LP to hit auction block

The Led Zeppelin album cover will be on offer as part of Christie’s “The Open Book: Fine Travel, Americana, Literature and History in Print and Manuscript sale,” which will take place online from June 2 through 18.

The cover art for Led Zeppelin’s self-titled debut album features a black-and-white photograph of the burning Hindenburg airship, which was photographed by Sam Shere in May 1937.

The artwork was created by British graphic designer and illustrator George Hardie in 1969, when he was still a graduate student at the Royal College of Art.

After rejecting his initial ideas, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page suggested that Hardie adapt Shere’s photograph of the Hindenburg disaster.

Hardie created the cover illustration for “Led Zeppelin” by rendering the photograph in ink using a rapidograph pen to avoid potential copyright issues, with the band paying him $60 (P3,000) for the work.

“The idea of it was to use the impact of this but use it in a graphic interpretation. The fact is that it was the right thing to do because it’s really an iconic image plus it’s Led Zeppelin’s first album so it’s really good to go in there, not quite like a lead balloon, but like a streaming rocket… It’s a dramatic incident, it’s a dramatic album, it’s a dramatic statement,” Page said of the album cover to Time magazine in 2016.


Hardie later designed album covers for rock musicians and bands like Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Wings and numerous others, many in collaboration with British art design group Hipgnosis.

The original illustration for “Led Zeppelin,” once listed among Time‘s 100 most influential images of all time, will now go under the hammer at Christie’s with an estimate between $20,000 and $30,000 (P1 million to P1.5 million).

“The historical significance of this album cover cannot be understated. It marked a major turning point in the history of pop music, heralded by the debut of Led Zeppelin… And the image has endured in a way that most other album covers have not; it very much has taken on a life of its own,” Peter Klarnet, senior specialist, books & manuscripts for Christie’s, said in a statement.

Aside from the cover illustration of Led Zeppelin’s eponymous debut, Christie’s will also auction the first dated printing of “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

This newspaper printing of what would become the national anthem was published in the Baltimore Patriot and Evening Advertiser on September 20, 1814, under its original title, “The Defence of Fort M’Henry”.


This rare printing includes all four original verses of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, which were completed by Francis Scott Key only three days before being printed in the Baltimore Patriot and Evening Advertiser.

The issue is estimated to sell for between $300,000 and $500,000 (P15 million to P25 million), with proceeds from the sale going to the American Antiquarian Society to benefit their collections acquisitions fund.

AFP Relaxnews

Earthquake of magnitude 6.9 strikes Kepulauan Babar, Indonesia —EMSC

JAKARTA — A powerful earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Wednesday, causing some residents to flee their homes, but there were no immediate reports of damage and the country's meteorology agency ruled out the risk of a tsunami.

The magnitude 6.9 quake struck in the Banda Sea, the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) said, and was at a depth of 117 km (73 miles). The US Geological Survey gave a preliminary magnitude of 6.8.

The earthquake was not capable of generating a tsunami affecting the Indian Ocean region, the Indonesia Tsunami Service Provider said.

A resident on the island of Kisar in Maluku province said they felt the earthquake for a few minutes and said people ran out of the houses in panic.

"People were asleep, we screamed. People ran because of the quake, beds shook," said Oce Karmomyana, who said there had been no damage.

Indonesia is situated on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, which is frequently hit by earthquakes that are sometimes accompanied by tsunamis.

The most devastating in recent Indonesian history was on Dec. 26 in 2004, when a magnitude 9.5 quake triggered a massive tsunami that killed around 226,000 people along the shorelines of the Indian Ocean, including more than 126,000 in Indonesia.

In 2018, a tsunami hit the city of Palu in Sulawesi island, killing thousands. — Reuters

YouTube expands fact-check panels in move against misinformation

YouTube on Tuesday began adding fact-check panels to search results in the United States for videos on hot-topic claims shown to be bogus.

The Google-owned video streaming service said it is expanding to the U.S. a fact-check information panel feature launched last year in Brazil and India.


Fact-check information panels highlight credible findings by third-parties so YouTube viewers can make informed decisions about claims, according to the company.

“Over the past several years, we’ve seen more and more people coming to YouTube for news and information,” the service said.

“The outbreak of COVID-19 and its spread around the world has reaffirmed how important it is for viewers to get accurate information during fast-moving events.”

YouTube described the fact-check feature as part of ongoing efforts to raise the profile of authoritative sources while reducing the spread of misinformation.


Two years ago, YouTube began testing panels providing vetted sources of information on topics prone to bogus assertions such as the world being flat.


“We’re now using these panels to help address an additional challenge: Misinformation that comes up quickly as part of a fast-moving news cycle, where unfounded claims and uncertainty about facts are common,” YouTube said.

Fact-check panels will be shown at YouTube when people search on specific claims found to be false, such as COVID-19 being a bioweapon, according to the company.

YouTube said that more than a dozen U.S. organizations including FactCheck.org and PolitiFact were partners in the effort.

It will take time for the feature to fully ramp up at YouTube, which planned to expand it to more countries as the accuracy of the system improved.

Agence France-Presse