Well, it’s Tuesday. Here we go.
Hiawatha Bray makes a good point about the new hands-free driving law. It doesn’t apply to those big touch displays that are part of your car, it only applies to your phone.
On the coronavirus front, according to the Times, yesterday’s market reaction came when investors “(finally)” began to realize the potential impact of a worldwide outbreak. At least Amazon is thinking ahead. And apparently the US has not yet even begun testing for the virus (?!?). That should start by next week. If tests indicate that it’s already spreading widely in the US there could be a psychological reaction that may cause another market hit. An outbreak might also have a political impact. It could be a Black Swan event for the administration and the election. It’s already being politicized. So what should we be doing now to prepare? Ian Mckay and Katherine E Arden write about how an outbreak can affect you and what you should be planning for. The two basic themes they identify are (1) reducing the risk of becoming infected and (2) reducing the chance you will run out of essential medications, foods and goods. Worth reading. Also, Mckay‘s Twitter feed is a great source for updates, as well as Angela Rasmussen, Muge Cevik and Maia Majumder.
Christopher Schodt provides a primer on 5G.
Eliminating fares on the MBTA is still under discussion here in Massachusetts but free transit is already a reality in Seattle. But only if you’re going to a hockey game.
And Rio has a municipal pee squad on patrol for public urinators. I think Amsterdam already solved that problem.