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A former CDC official criticizes the agency over its latest reversal, this time in guidance on how the coronavirus is transmitted. // Getty Images, Kevin C. Cox

As of now, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization say the primary way the coronavirus spreads is by hitching a ride on respiratory droplets when people are in close contact.

Respiratory droplets form when someone sneezes, coughs, talks or sings, for example. They don't travel far and fall to the ground quickly.

But on Friday, the CDC website was modified to include smaller, aerosolized particles as a way the coronavirus is commonly spread. These are the tiniest particles expelled in breath that can linger in the air and travel distances farther than 6 feet.

On Monday, the agency took that update down, saying it was a draft that had been posted in error.

Dr. Ali Khan, who used to direct the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at the CDC, says there was "nothing new" in the now-deleted update, which he characterized as saying "there's a minor role for airborne transmission."

The disease is "predominantly" spread by large particles from people near each other, he says. There's consensus in the scientific community that this seems to be the main mode of transmission.

Beyond that, Khan notes, there are a few other ways that people could, conceivably, contract the virus, researchers and health officials agree.

"Occasionally we get this disease from contaminated surfaces," Khan tells Steve Inskeep on NPR's Morning Edition. "And then there's a minor role, again, for these small particle aerosols. ... These are transmitted farther than 6 feet away, potentially around a corner, especially in poorly ventilated indoor spaces. And then, finally, there's a yet even more minor role, probably, for transmission via feces. So nothing new here."

Still, a number of environmental engineers and other infectious disease researchers have been critical in the past of both the CDC and WHO for, they say, being too slow to acknowledge the role this sort of fine aerosol might play in spreading the virus, especially indoors.

Khan is now the dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Here are excerpts from the interview:

What do you make of this unremarkable guidance being published and then withdrawn?

Confusing. So CDC's not perfect and certainly has made some mistakes this past year. But with due respect to the agency, it's hard to imagine that this is one of them, given the scrutiny that they've had in all of their messaging.

And for example, so just last week, we saw a flip-flop from CDC on testing of asymptomatic persons. We saw documented proof of manipulation of CDC's official publication. So, you know, it's not hard to understand people questioning that these changes may be deliberate interference by the [Trump administration]. ...

We've seen the deliberate undermining of public health over the course of this outbreak for political purpose. And we have seen numerous examples now of deliberate change of guidance that's not evidence-based.

Can we still trust what the CDC tells us then?

Unfortunately, it's becoming harder to trust what CDC tells us.

And this is extremely unfortunate because trust is the most important thing we need during a pandemic. As we tell people that, regardless of this minor role of aerosol transmission, we have the tools available to us today to stop this outbreak in its tracks with "test, trace, isolate." And please do our part [by] wearing a mask, washing our hands and socially distancing. And this trust is going to be even more important as we tell people to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated hopefully sometime at the end of this year and into next year.

I want to know if the practical advice after all of this confusion is still basically the same, so far as you see it: See people outdoors, rather than indoors; 6 feet apart; wear a mask. That sort of thing.

Correct. The guidance doesn't change. So there's lots of nice, sophisticated aerobiology studies now that look at what happens when you sneeze and cough and how far these particles go and whether there's virus riding along in them.

But we know that if we wear our masks and we couple that with the public health strategy of testing, isolating and tracing people, that we can get this disease under control.

Taylor Haney produced the audio interview.

Original post:
After Aerosols Misstep, Former CDC Official Criticizes Agency Over Unclear Messaging - Houston Public Media

Saturday, September 19, marked another milestone for Fighting Irish Media (FIM) and Notre Dame Studios (NDS). The two entities partnered with NBC to broadcast Notre Dames football game versus South Florida on the USA Network (owned by NBC Universal). The show was fully produced on campus and Notre Dame students filled key roles managing microphones on the field and camera shading in the control room. While FIM and NDS have produced the Blue-Gold game for NBC and many Notre Dame hockey games, this marked the first time they have partnered on the broadcast for an in-season Notre Dame football game.

Instead of bringing two, or sometimes three, 53-foot-long production trailers, parked underneath Duncan Student Center, NBC utilized the broadcast technology in the 18,000 square foot Rex and Alice A. Martin Media Center in Corbett Family Hall, which is also where the in-game video board show is produced. Fighting Irish Media provided key production support and content while NDS provided technology, engineering and logistics.

This was the most technically demanding show weve produced in our three-year history, said Dan Skendzel, executive director of Notre Dame Studios and Teaching and Learning Technologies. It was possible due to the great collaboration between Scott Rinehart, director of broadcast technologies in NDS, the FIM production team led by Adam Donaldson, assistant athletics director of production and media partnerships, and the NBC Sports team, along with the vision that went into designing the Martin Media Center.

Notre Dame Studios team turned on a dime to deliver all of the broadcast needs from a facility, equipment and engineering perspective. They set the stage literally and figuratively for the FIM team to partner with the NBC broadcast crew to get the game out to millions of viewers. We take it for granted sometimes, but the fruit of the University value of teamwork was on full display this weekend, said Rob Kelly, senior associate athletic director for media and brand and Fighting Irish Media lead.

The broadcast and video board show featured in total 23 camera feeds and nearly as many audio feeds, routed through the Martin Media Center, out of which NDS operates. Audio and video from the broadcast feed was sent via fiber to NBCs production center in Stamford, Connecticut, and transmitted to the USA Network. The inclusion of Notre Dame students in the broadcast marked another unique quality of the production given its high profile nature and vast viewership.

Originally posted here:
Saturday's game also a win for ND Studios and Fighting Irish Media - ND Newswire

NEW YORK Starting today, businesses and developers can build and deploy applications with AWS Wavelength at Verizons 5G Edge in three new locations: Atlanta, New York and Washington, DC. Verizon and AWS launched the mobile edge computing (MEC) platform last month in Boston and the Bay Area and plan to add five more cities by year end.

Mobile edge computing moves the data and processing done by the applications and services we use closer to the end user at the edge of the network. This shortens the roundtrip data needs to travel, reducing lag time, or latency. By moving AWS compute and storage services to the edge of Verizons 5G Ultra Wideband network, innovators can develop applications with ultra-low latencies that will support next generation use cases ranging from self-driving cars to autonomous industrial equipment. Customers are already testing their edge solutions in AWS Wavelength zones at the edge of Verizons 5G network in multiple locations.

Zixis Software-Defined Video Platform (SDVP) enables live broadcast-quality video delivery over any IP network. The companys currently testing how a major broadcasters 4K live broadcast feed can be delivered over 5G using AWS Wavelength. The end game is to test how content providers can distribute live streams across broadcast media workflows with super-low latency without the need for satellites.

Were working with Verizon, AWS Wavelength and a major global broadcaster to test many live and live linear 4K and 8K broadcast media workflows for 5G production implementations, said Gordon Brooks, CEO and Executive Chairman of Zixi.With our SDVP on Verizon 5G Edge and AWS Wavelength, our customers should have the ability to scale, provide end to end workflow management and the quality of experience that their consumers demand.

YBVR is building a next-generation VR video platform and is testing how they can utilize 5G and Wavelength to stream live 8K Ultra HD (UHD) video to sports fans and concert goers, allowing simultaneous users to choose various camera views with ultra-low latency.

Leveraging the powerful combination ofVerizon 5G and AWS Wavelength will enable us to put the fan in control, said Sebastian Amengual, YBVR co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. With 5G and MEC, fans should be able to enjoy 8K live streams on mobile and XR devices in real-time and have their own, personalized watching experience which was not feasible before.

CrowdVision is testing how 5G and AWS Wavelength can provide the throughput and low latency needed to help detect pedestrian movements using video or LiDAR and artificial intelligence to provide live data about everything from crowd congestion to traffic flows, queues and wait times in venues like airports and arenas.

Deploying cameras and LiDAR using a wireless infrastructure that can handle CrowdVisions large bandwidth requirements is a true game changer, said Sam Kamel, President of CrowdVision America. By working with Verizon and AWS, we can now extend our analytics solution to places never before accessible. With 5G and MEC, we can improve how large venues manage crowds and apply social distancing controls to deliver not only fun - but also safe - customer and fan experiences.

Verizons 5G Ultra Wideband network will enable throughput at least 10 times faster than 4G; deliver ultra-low latency; and offer very high bandwidth. Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband is expected to eventually enable 100 times larger data volumes than 4G; and the ability to connect more than a million devices per kilometer.

Watching businesses build transformational applications on the worlds first 5G mobile edge computing platform with AWS Wavelength shows how our 5G Ultra Wideband network matters to customers TODAY and is already impacting how businesses operate and consumers live, work and play, said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. When it comes to innovating on 5G and MEC, were only scratching the surface.

Learn more information about Verizon 5G Edge and Verizons 5G technology. For more information for developers, visit here.

Other resources:

View YBVR video.

View Zixi video.

View CrowdVision video.

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Verizon and AWS bring Mobile Edge Computing to Atlanta, New York and Washington D.C. - Verizon Communications

After months of negotiations leading to a public showdown last week between NBCUniversal and Roku, NBCUniversals streaming service, Peacock, is now on Roku.

Peacock, which offers a combination of entertainment, news, and sports, launched nationwide in July. It was available to stream on a number of different set-top boxes and video game consoles, but it was absent from Roku. Neither NBCUniversal nor Roku could come to an agreement over a split in advertising revenue, leading to a standoff between the two companies. Tedd Cittadine, vice president of content acquisition at Roku, called the newfound agreement a very positive and mutually beneficial partnership in a statement to The Verge.

We are excited by the opportunities to integrate NBC content within The Roku Channel while we also work together with Peacock on the development of a significant and meaningful advertising and ad tech partnership, Cittadine said.

(Disclosure: Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, is also an investor in Vox Media, The Verges parent company.)

Its unclear just how much Roku and NBCUniversal compromised on the advertising inventory split in order to make the deal work. Ad inventory, the biggest holdup in this situation, refers to the percentage of ads Roku takes control over once theyre served on its platform. On Rokus website, the company says a channel controls 70 percent of its ad inventory, with Roku controlling the remaining 30 percent. Despite counteroffers that both parties brought to the table, neither Roku nor Comcast and NBCUniversals team believed them to be fair.

Cittadines comment also notes that Roku will work with NBCUniversal on a significant advertising tech partnership, which is important. NBCUniversal executives reportedly had concerns about having Peacock streamed on third-party software the companys in-house team couldnt control. Plus, NBCUniversal built an entirely new form of advertising tech explicitly for Peacock. The technology NBCUniversal built helps to better track user data, sell hyper-targeted ads, and increase revenue.

NBCUniversal was far from the only company stuck in a game of never-ending negotiations with Roku. AT&T and WarnerMedia are currently trying to work out a deal with Roku to bring their new streaming service, HBO Max, to the platform. As negotiations continue, WarnerMedia has also begun shuttering some of its other HBO apps (like HBO Go), leading consumers to wonder when HBO Max will finally be available on Roku devices.

Who knows? Maybe this is the beginning of a new era.

The rest is here:
NBCUniversals Peacock streaming service is now available on Roku - The Verge

Both companies will expand their deep existing technology collaboration to create and deliver new solutions to help customers, suppliers and other businesses lower emissions.

Redmond, Washington 22 Sept. 2020 Shell International Petroleum Company Limited and Microsoft Corporation, building on a history of three decades of working together, are embarking on a new strategic alliance to support progress towards a world with net-zero emissions. This builds on the strong foundation of decades of technology collaboration between the two companies. This type of strategic alliance is a model for how companies can work together to achieve their net-zero ambitions.

Microsoft and Shell both have rich histories of innovation and bold ambitions to decarbonise, said Huibert Vigeveno, Downstream Director of Shell. We are proud of the work we have already done together. Our strategic alliance will enable us to push the boundaries of what can be achieved. We believe we can unlock tremendous progress for Shell, Microsoft, our customers and beyond.

We are building on our work with Shell by establishing a deeper alliance to further accelerate innovation in support of decarbonization and energy industry transition, said Judson Althoff, executive vice president of Microsofts Worldwide Commercial Business. Cross-industry collaborations like this are fundamental to help society reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and digital transformation is key to tackling this important issue, within the energy sector and beyond.

This strategic alliance will support Shells ambition to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, or sooner, in step with society and its customers. Shells supply of renewable energy will help Microsoft deliver on its renewable energy supply goals and its broader ambition to be carbon negative by 2050.

It is expected that over time the alliance will enable the two companies to achieve even more together.

Highlights of the expanded alliance include:

Shell and Microsoft have already achieved important results through their long-standing technology collaboration:

The alliance will deepen the co-operation that has existed between the two companies for more than three decades. It will enable Microsoft and Shell to accelerate the progress they are making on reducing carbon emissions.

Enquiries:

Shell Media Relations

International: +44 207 934 5550

US & Brazil: +1 832 337 4355

Microsoft Media Relations

WE Communications for Microsoft

(425) 638-7777

rrt@we-worldwide.com

About Royal Dutch Shell plc

Royal Dutch Shell plcis incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more than 70 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects. For further information, visitwww.shell.com.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq MSFT @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Cautionary note

The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release Shell, Shell Group and Royal Dutch Shell are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words we, us and our are also used to refer to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. Subsidiaries, Shell subsidiaries and Shell companies as used in this release refer to entities over which Royal Dutch Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as joint ventures and joint operations, respectively. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as associates. The term Shell interest is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

It is important to note that as of September 22, 2020, Shells operating plans and budgets do not reflect Shells net-zero emissions ambition. Shells aim is that, in the future, its operating plans and budgets will change to reflect this movement towards its new net-zero emissions ambition. However, these plans and budgets need to be in step with the movement towards a net zero emissions economy within society and among Shells customers.

This release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on managements current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing managements expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as aim, ambition, anticipate, believe, could, estimate, expect, goals, intend, may, objectives, outlook, plan, probably, project, risks, schedule, seek, should, target, will and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this release, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shells products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shells Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 (available atwww.shell.com/investorandwww.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this releaseand should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this release, September 22, 2020. Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this release.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this release that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC websitewww.sec.gov.

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Shell and Microsoft form alliance to help address carbon emissions - Stories - Microsoft