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Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

reuters.com

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Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#71

Post by newtoday »

newtoday wrote: post #56

So, I'm gonna have to go to Walmart to get tested? Wtf? I should be able to go to my local hospital right now, but there's no tests, and no one will be wearing PPE when I walk in there. Fuck this website. Exactly where, in each US state does one go for testing, right now? Any sources on this? Edit: I may sound rash, but what I read is Google: it's only in SF Bay, Trump: there will be a website, and drive through test…

A few downvotes on this so far, but no replies. No answers! I apologise for reaching out to the community. I love HN and respect the guidelines whole heartidly, but I was actually hoping for a reply.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#72

Post by cavisne »

vikinghckr wrote: post #3

Found it strange that some parts of media decided to focus on the semantics of Google and Verily being different subsidiaries of Alphabet. This is an almost meaningless detail.

Tech media knows the average person doesn’t understand the whole Alphabet/Google thing (and lets be honest in 2020 no one really understands it as the founders have left and Sundar is CEO of both ).

So they make a deliberate decision to induce fear and anger in their audience, for clicks. They hate you!

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#73

Post by ajross »

gundmc wrote: post #63
ajross wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As has been pointed out ad nausum, what Google said was "Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time." which clearly does not match the product announced by the executive branch (i.e. it's not for everyone, there's no existing plan for rollout beyond the bay area). And pointing that messaging mixup out is part of the…

That may have been the case initially, but is clearly no longer true if you click through to the statement I linked. I'm not sure if Google was planning this prior to Trump's announcement or if it's reactionary, but the relevant portion is here: "Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a nationwide website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information. This is in ad…

Arrgh, but those aren't the same thing! The press conference announced a test scheduling tool, which corresponds to the Verily product. That quote you just listed is just a static info site.

You seriously don't see why this is a messaging error? That it's newsworthy when Trump announced something that doesn't pan out? That it's of a piece with the other times he's done the same thing (e.g. repeatedly stating "anyone who wants to be tested can be tested" when the CDC rules actively being enforced placed strict limits on test availability)?

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#74

Post by Turing_Machine »

dmix wrote: post #51
vikinghckr wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's the transcript from the press conference: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/CmrNxLAP9wohLWA... I searched for "Sunday" there, and they only mention they'll be able to provide details of when the testing website will be available by Sunday evening. They didn't say the website will go live Sunday.

I could see how someone could get the impression he said it was coming Sunday evening but watching the interview from start to finish it's clear that wasn't a direct response to the question like some people thought it was. Edit: Re-reading the transcript it looks like they only announced the announcement of plans for Sunday? >> Mike Pence: For Americans looking on, by this Sunday evening, we'll be able to give speci…

> I could see how someone could get the impression he said it was coming Sunday evening

The media (and many, many commenters here) were foaming at the mouth for another ORANGE MAN BAD story.

It's amusing to watch all the frantic spinning taking place in this comments section to avoid walking back the ORANGE MAN BAD narrative from this morning. You were wrong, guys. Just admit it. It won't kill you.

I am no particular fan of Donald Trump (to put it mildly), but I think he's been doing a reasonable job on this specific issue, especially when judged by the (admittedly very low) historical standards of federal government responsiveness and timeliness.

But then I'm old enough to remember when the previous administration wasn't able to deploy a functional web site to sell standardized health insurance policies, even when given several hundred million dollars and a couple of years of lead time.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#75

Post by animalnewbie »

cavisne wrote: post #72
vikinghckr wrote: post #3

Found it strange that some parts of media decided to focus on the semantics of Google and Verily being different subsidiaries of Alphabet. This is an almost meaningless detail.

Tech media knows the average person doesn’t understand the whole Alphabet/Google thing (and lets be honest in 2020 no one really understands it as the founders have left and Sundar is CEO of both ). So they make a deliberate decision to induce fear and anger in their audience, for clicks. They hate you!

Truly the enemy of the people.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#76

Post by Turing_Machine »

MilnerRoute wrote: post #68

For what it's worth, here's what CNN was reporting Friday night: Google will not be publishing a national-scale website for coronavirus testing anytime soon, contrary to claims made by President Donald Trump during a Friday news conference. Instead, a health-focused subsidiary owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, intends to launch a small-scale website next week to begin to triage California-based patients. Th…

And here's what Google Communications said three hours ago:

"Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a nationwide website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information"

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#77

Post by Turing_Machine »

Turing_Machine wrote: post #74
dmix wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I could see how someone could get the impression he said it was coming Sunday evening but watching the interview from start to finish it's clear that wasn't a direct response to the question like some people thought it was. Edit: Re-reading the transcript it looks like they only announced the announcement of plans for Sunday? >> Mike Pence: For Americans looking on, by this Sunday evening, we'll be able to give speci…

> I could see how someone could get the impression he said it was coming Sunday evening The media (and many, many commenters here) were foaming at the mouth for another ORANGE MAN BAD story. It's amusing to watch all the frantic spinning taking place in this comments section to avoid walking back the ORANGE MAN BAD narrative from this morning. You were wrong, guys. Just admit it. It won't kill you. I am no particular…

Mod it down all you want.

You'll still be wrong.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#78

Post by Turing_Machine »

calebrob6 wrote: post #32
Jommi wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you point out to me the statement where Google denies working on the web tool?

Google Communications says here that Verily (a sister company to Google) is working on a small scale tool for the Bay area: https://twitter.com/Google_Comms/status/1238574670686928906

Google Communications says here that "Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a nationwide website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information."

https://twitter.com/Google_Comms/status/1238989460127338497

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#79

Post by tathougies »

mindslight wrote: post #39
casefields wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Trump said he cured cancer, but the truth was that only a few strains were cured, these same people would literally be upset. This is getting worse than the Bush Derangement Syndrome and all the Obama hate/conspiracies.

Details matter. And getting some details wrong is fine if you accept criticism with the goal of converging on being correct. Trump rejects the framework of communicating in correct facts, relying on emotional platitudes instead. Running with your example, it's as if Trump is boasting that he has cured cancer, because he knows someone who invested in a company that made a marginal improvement to treatment for one type…

> Trump rejects the framework of communicating in correct facts, relying on emotional platitudes instead.

Yes, he uses words that people understands. No non-tech, non-finance person would know what alphabet is. Regular americans do not know that Google, Inc (a publicly traded company) decided to change its name to Alphabet Inc (still traded under GOOG though, because apparently this snafu is good enough for the NYSE) and create a new subsidiary named Google, and another called Google Life Sciences which is now known as Verily. Most Americans would simply say 'Google'. There is nothing wrong with a POTUS using words that literally everyone understands. If you understand this, you will understand why Trump won.

Re: Alphabet, Walmart join U.S. effort to speed up coronavirus testing

#80

Post by tathougies »

calebrob6 wrote: post #32
Jommi wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you point out to me the statement where Google denies working on the web tool?

Google Communications says here that Verily (a sister company to Google) is working on a small scale tool for the Bay area: https://twitter.com/Google_Comms/status/1238574670686928906

Verily is an Alphabet subsidiary. To the majority of Americans, 'Alphabet' is Google, because Alphabet is the successor organization to Google the company. All these ridiculous technicalities are nuts. No one cares that Alphabet decided to reorganize to maximize shareholder value. Alphabet is literally Google, and still trades under that ticker (GOOG). When people talk about Google the company, they mean Alphabet, and you know that.

Like, most people on HN talk about how 'Google Fiber' is part of Google, but really it's not, it's part of Alphabet, which owns the trademark Google. Or again, when GV (formerly known as Google Ventures) invests in a company, people say 'Google invested in company', because GV is alphabet, which is Google because... Google the company means Alphabet in common parlance. Stop nitpicking.

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