Contact tracing apps now cover nearly half of America. It’s not too late to use one.

The impact of covid-19 on science

Sponsored by Arm The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology The case for contact tracing apps 12.15.20 Good morning! Today: why you should consider downloading a contact tracing app (if one is available in your area), the impact of covid-19 on science, and vaccinations have started in the US. Get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. Contact tracing apps cover nearly half of America. It’s not too late to use one.   What’s new: California’s exposure notification system launched statewide on December 10, which means that almost half of all Americans now live somewhere covered by an app that will warn them if they’ve been close to someone with covid-19. We’ve compiled a list so you can check if your state has one. Can they help? At this point in the pandemic, experts say it’s too late for these apps to dramatically lower transmission on their own. But the software is still useful for keeping you personally safe and aware of when you should get tested. As vaccinations begin and cases go down again, experts say they’ll be even more important.  Julie Samuels led the task force that developed New York state’s app. She puts it this way: “In American society, people are really looking for a silver bullet—for the one thing that we can do to stop covid. The way to think about the app is that it’s one more layer of protection. If it keeps even one more person from getting covid, isn’t that worth it?” Read the full story. —Mia Sato We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction in these weird times. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)   + Such an uplifting, happy story about a little girl and her fairy friend.    + It’s well worth following David Gutternfelder, a highly talented photographer for National Geographic.   + A festive treat… 30 new incredible images from NASA’s Hubble telescope.    + A YouTube channel dedicated to tiny living spaces.   + Another artist to follow: Max Guther.    + Enjoy these festive plays from the comfort of your own home. (NYT $) Sponsor Message A new horizon: Expanding the AI landscape Organizations are using AI to drive business and improve processes. That’s spurring changes in how they’re deploying the technology and governing its use. To see how industry leaders are stepping up, download the report here. The top ten must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The impact of covid-19 on science 🧪 For all its benefits, the single-minded focus on covid-19 will leave a slew of negative legacies. (The Atlantic)   + Shared air is the problem, not shared surfaces, so why are we cleaning so much? (WP $)   + Why have rich nations failed so miserably at contact tracing? (Nature)  2 The Russian hack on the US was bigger than first thought The Pentagon, intelligence agencies, nuclear labs and Fortune 500 companies all used the compromised software. (NYT $)   + It also seems to have been highly sophisticated. (WP $)   + No one really knows how deep this goes yet. (Wired $)  3 Influencers are being recruited to promote covid-19 vaccines This is important because, believe it or not, not everyone is paying attention to Dr Fauci. (Recode)   + Rich countries have “cleared the shelves” of vaccines. (NYT $)   + Americans’ appetite to get vaccinated is increasing. (Axios)   + You should get vaccinated even if you have already had covid-19. (The Next Web)  4 The FDA has approved genetically engineered pigs 🐖 For both food and medical use. (The Verge)   + Gene-editing has made pigs immune to a deadly epidemic. (TR)  5 California is fining Uber $59 million for not handing over data on sexual assaults It has 30 days to either comply or face a state-wide ban. (San Francisco Chronicle)   + Meanwhile Twitter is being fined $546,000 by Ireland in a GDPR first. (WSJ $)   + Big Tech is ramping up its lobbying efforts in Europe. (NYT $)   + The FTC says nine tech companies must share how they collect user data. (CNBC)  6 Events might be better post-covid If I’m having to leave my house, you’d better make it worth my while. (Wired $)   7 Slack’s limitations If you need to focus intensely for long stretches of time, you should probably log off. (New Yorker $)   8 Pornhub just purged all unverified videos from its site The online porn industry has been shaken by revelations about the prevalence of abusive material. (Vice)   9 High-frequency trading is getting even faster Firms are trying to get nanoseconds of advantage over rivals by using new cutting-edge cables. (WSJ $)   10 Why Google went down for 45 minutes yesterday An almost horrifyingly boring reason: a lack of storage space. (The Guardian) We want to hear from you: the global AI agenda 2021.  In just 10-minutes, you can help MIT Technology Review understand how enterprises are using big data and AI to recover from covid-19. This survey also explores how businesses are reevaluating data privacy and citizen consent to AI practices. Your response is anonymous and would be greatly appreciated. You can download this past year's Global AI Agenda here for free. Take the survey now. Quote of the day “I have seen the alternative, and do not want it for you. I feel like healing is coming. I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history.” —Remarks made by Sandra Lindsay, a New York City intensive care unit nurse who became the first person in the United States to receive a coronavirus vaccine yesterday. Top image credit: DMITRY PARSHIN | SPUTNIK VIA AP Please send fairies to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @charlottejee. Thanks for reading! —Charlotte Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up for free Don't settle for half the story. Subscribe to MIT Technology Review for access to subscriber-only content and more.   Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142

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