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Covid-19

airbnb

A lodging offering platform, Airbnb has extended its full cancellation policy due to COVID-19

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Coronavirus has become a worldwide crisis. Due to this pandemic, many mega-events are either canceled or postponed, visits are negated, and people are canceling their pre-booked tickets and travels. In the beginning, most of the people were panicked because of the refund complications on their ticket bookings and lodging but now they are relived as the terms are relaxed. Many companies have changed their policies amid coronavirus breakdown. Every sector, every industry, and every human is worried due to coronavirus pandemic. In this situation, Airbnb gave relief to the customers. A lodging offering platform, Airbnb has extended its full cancellation policy keeping this corona pandemic in mind. They have also kept $250 million aside for the hosts who are affected because of these canceled bookings.

Airbnb company’s old policy

Airbnb’s old policy allowed guests to get a full refund if they void their booking within 48 hours of booking their trip, or a 50% refund if they do within seven days. This policy is canceled on Saturday and it is replaced by extenuating circumstances policy.

Who can get a full refund? – New extenuating circumstances policy 

The guests who have booked their stays on Airbnb with the check-in between 14-31st March will get a full refund. This is under Airbnb’s extenuating circumstances policy. With the money that is set aside, Airbnb will ensure that hosts get some of the lost money.

Before this announcement was done, Airbnb expanded its extenuating circumstances policy to refund bookings between the fixed period of 14th March to 31st May. The policy does not talk about the refund terms for hosts though. Some of the Airbnb are upset because the company did not provide any fix financial net to them. As the cancellations are allowed and no new booking is being made, hosts have their calenderer empty. The change in policy has affected the hosts in California, Florida, Kansas, Utah, Michigan and the state of Washington. They have lost thousands of dollars.

Some hosts said that they empathize with the guests as the current situation is not under anyone’s control, but their business and livelihood are at risk. Whereas, some of the hosts are extremely angry and have put the entire blame on Airbnb for the loss of business.

The change is policy is a relief for guests, but the hosts are upset with the company. Airbnb is taking further steps to strengthen the relationship between hosts and them to ensure the unchanged partnership in the future.

Airbnb’s action on hosts’ disappointment

Airbnb is ready to extend help for hosts and the CEO Brian Chesky asks for forgiveness for the chaotic messaging around the policy changes in recent times. He said, “I deeply regret the way we communicated this decision, and I am sorry that we did not consult you — as partners should. We have heard from you and we know we have let you down. You deserve better from us.”

The company has donated $10 million to help its “super hosts” and the ones who’ve been contributing to Airbnb’s tour guide-style practices. Other hosts can apply for $5,000 help from the fund starting from April. The CEO of Airbnb has requested hosts to trust into the company as the trust is the foundation of a partnership.

Airbnb at loss because of travel restrictions

As the entire business of Airbnb depends on travel and tourism, the past few months have been difficult for the company. Because of the restrictions on overall global travel, many small and big companies like Airbnb facing problems with their business, as the countless countries have advised people to stay home and follow the lockdown.

In the US, the guidelines for social distancing have extended until April 30th as the COVID-19 cases are increasing rapidly. As per recent reports, the US has crossed 160000 cases so far and has the highest number in the world. Major population countries like India are under complete lockdown to prevent from getting into community transmission phase.

Bottom line

Not only travel and hotel businesses at risk but also other businesses are facing the impact of coronavirus spread all over the world. In some countries, the situation is gone out of control and some are in the stage of community transmission. Let’s hope this shall pass soon and everything comes back to normal.

Meanwhile, for any information head to WHO’s site to avoid the spread of misinformation.

Google

GOOGLE TELLS HOW THE ONLINE BUSINESSES SHOULD RESPONSE IN THIS PANDEMIC

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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a worldwide crisis. Apart from the shutdown of offline businesses, educational institutions, etc, it has also successfully created trauma within us. Every nation will find it very hard to economically recover after this deadly virus is eradicated once and for all. While every small enterprise is shutting down temporarily, here is a hope for the online businesses. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, some of the online businesses are also planning to shut down. But, Google says it is a very idea for a business. A website can be less active, but it should still be on the run. Because, once it shuts down permanently, it is very difficult to be back online. Due to the shutdown ranking falls sharply.

The minimalistic approach behind the online business

John Mueller, Google’s senior webmaster trend analyst has given a set of guidelines for those who are planning a shutdown. He said that instead of turning off your business permanently, it is better if you stick to minimal functionalities. This explains what Flipkart and other e-commerce sites are doing. You might show out of stock for the time being or allow your customers to add in wishlist or cart for later. This will save your business once you are back online. Also, you don’t lose you, customers, as they will be visiting the website. Everything except receiving orders should remain active.

Another thing that Muller suggested is to display some important message or notice about the temporary inconvenience. He also said to use Google’s Search Console Tool for re-indexing.

Customers are the first priority

The online sites that are engaged with the service of online ordering and delivery are facing most difficulties. Other websites which provide online solution and the entire procedure is done over the net won’t feel the heat. So, for those e-commerce websites, closing it will be the biggest mistake. You should keep in mind that though your company is not able to deliver, customers visit the website. So, to not have a negative attitude towards your customers, the website should be online. This will help to tackle your problems in a better way once everything is back to normal.

What if you need to shut down?

Shutting down should be the option when you hit rock bottom. If there is no other way then you have to shut down. But, it shouldn’t be more than a few days maximum. If you are shutting down your website you should do thorough research about what are the dos and don’ts. Google also says that the company should display an error page with a 503 HTTP result code. That is the best thing to go for.

And, in case you are planning to shut it down for more than just a few days, here are some tips. One should provide an indexable homepage as a placeholder. This gives the user a way to find it through a search by using 200 HTTP status code. And, if you are planning to hide your website, you can temporarily remove it from search. But, always remember these are very risky. Your business might have a major setback once it is back.

Effects of shutdown

It’s better that your customers know there’s a temporary glitch than not knowing anything at all. This is why a whole vanishing-the-website-idea is not recommended. Always keep your customers updated about the website. There’s not much work in just keeping it active with a notice. And, once you lock the website, users cannot find relevant information about products, services, past orders, reviews, etc. Moreover, if you shut down the website for once, their high chances to lose the contact number and your company’s logo as well.

All these will lead to a company sinking down in the search engine. In other words, Search Control Verification will fail as the company’s information is lost.

The helping hands

It’s hard to make the right decision when you are panicking. So, here’s a small help from domain registrars like GoDaddy and Namecheap. One can continue paying the hosting fee to keep it online. And, these registrars are also helping the small companies survive this. Because entire disabling is very harmful to a company’s future.

IBM

IBM AND THE WEATHER CHANNEL ARE MAKING MORE CITIZENS AWARE OF COVID-19

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Mayhem has come down to the entire world. And, every nation is currently fighting off the same enemy, COVID-19. It was only yesterday that the total cases in India surpassed 600. The rise of panic is everywhere but it is a blessing than many patients are recovering from near death. The world has come together to find a cure for this infectious virus at the earliest. In the meantime, as a responsible citizen, we can only take precautions and stay home. But, it is also important to keep track of the number of cases globally. So, we have a right to know updated facts about this virus, for example, where it is spreading more, and the number of reported active cases. To help stay more informed about the statistics, IBM and The Weather Channel has launched new tools.

The New Tool and its use

It has become impossible for us to take a step out of your house. The Internet feels like a blessing in these days of quarantine mostly to keep ourselves updated. Given that we all use a smartphone, IBM has launched new tools that will help us keep a record of reported COVID-19 cases in our area. The mobile application is free and anyone from anywhere can access it.

The users can see the information from The Weather Channel app (an IBM business). The company has designed this new tool in a way that will help the users get all the information from trusted sources. The application also has a dashboard where the statistics will be displayed. Previously, many sites provided with updated information about COVID-19 like active cases, death cases, and total cases. But, it is easier to gain this information from a mobile app.

Features of the App                                            

The data we received so far was from the World Health Organization (WHO), Johns Hopkins University, and other official sources. This Weather Channel app will merge all these information. And, apart from these reports, it will show reported cases at both state and national levels. Combining all these data, the app will show it on an “incident map”.

In this incident map, reported cases will be color-coded to show different areas, states and at the national level as well. Not only the maps will be generated but also graphs will be provided the state-wise reported cases. This app will also provide the percentage increase of COVID-19 cases weekly.

Trend visualization and interactive mapping are the two best features of this app. The app will also provide news and videos related to this pandemic. This will be thoroughly looked into by The Weather Channel Editorial team. As one should be reported about the cases, the citizens of the U.S. will also be able to locate the nearest healthcare clinics and testing centers. IBM is trying its best to include as much informative and important data as possible.

Reaching out to more people

IBM has also announced that this same data will be used by officials, researchers, data scientists, media, and medical professionals. So, the citizens should not worry about the clarity and preciseness of the data. It is their responsibility to let people aware of the right details. The app will also provide fact-checking resources and a proper guideline in this period of crisis. It will consist of detailed guidelines about the preventive measures that should be taken by normal people. And, it is also for the people who have tested positive for COVID-19. Though the patients will be immediately taken under medical supervision, prevention is better than cure.

Spreading the right message

This new tool will help the U.S citizens both prevent and remain informed about COVID-19. The app will not only show statistics of the U.S but also the cases of global COVID-19. There are around 45 million active users of The Weather Channel App. So, people can ignore the use but they will surely stay tuned with an application, a very common feature of a smartphone. The company also said that apart from all the information it provides, the message of social distancing is the top priority. Because that is the most important and the only way to prevent COVID-19.

namecheap

Namecheap Bans Domain Names Containing Words Related to COVID-19

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The deadly coronavirus continues its rampage as it spreads aggressively throughout Europe and North America. With over 4,50,000 people have tested positive and causalities exceeding 20,000, the virus has grown to become a global pandemic. Almost all spheres of life have been hit by the virus, with most educational institutions and offices shutting down. Most non-essential services and industries have been shut in a bid to stop the spread of this viral infection. One of the most significant issues that have surfaced as a result of this global pandemic is the spread of fake news and theories. From around the world, people have been posting faux stories regarding cures and infection theories which has been spreading false information. Governments across the globe are trying to put an end to the peddling of incorrect information through various means. In this article, we will be taking a look at one such way which has been adopted by domain registrar company Namecheap.

Banning Words to Prevent False Information

Namecheap which handles the domain registration of websites, on Wednesday announced that it was prohibiting domains from taking names which contain the words, ‘covid’, ‘coronavirus’ and ‘vaccine’. The full list of words it will not allow to be a part of domain names has been released by the company. This decision has been taken to stop the peddling of false information in such trying times. Any term or phrase that alludes to the COVID-19 pandemic will not get registered as a domain name in the months to come. The LA-based company hopes that such measures will prevent fake products and websites from flooding the internet. Ever since the pandemic spread to Europe and the US, many sites flaunting miracle drugs and cures have popped up all over the internet. Such websites do not provide any medical background or proof and peddle fake products by selling misinformation. This move will go a long way in preventing people from capitalizing on the ongoing worldwide health hazard.

Desperate Measures during Desperate Times

The company’s statement called out all the people who were trying to take advantage of this crisis to make some quick money. Both the company and government authorities are working in tandem to prevent such misinformation and fraudulent products from taking over the internet. The government is also following a very proactive method that aims to stop and take down any such content from the world wide web. The company mailed a copy of its statement to all its customers and emphasized how from now on, it will not allow any domain name containing words or phrases related to the pandemic. In case, legitimate and legally valid companies wish to procure a domain name, including the banned words, they will have to do after contacting the company’s support team. After thorough verification and validation, such companies will be able to register themselves with the company.

Viral Scams

The coronavirus has led to large-scale loss of life around the world. However, fraudulent characters are making use of this deadly virus to scam people and sell fake products. Coronavirus-related scams and abuse has become as viral as the infection itself. With such scams becoming viral, most of the world’s top tech companies are trying to fight this in their ways. E-commerce legends such as Amazon and E-Bay are starting to remove all sellers and listings which claim to have coronavirus cures. These companies have also placed bans and restrictions on the sale of face masks and hand sanitizers, which people seem to be stocking, owing to the crisis.

Furthermore, social media giants such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are now working together to moderate the content that goes live on their platforms. These companies have also come out with more aggressive approaches to content analysis, review, and removal. Almost all fake videos which are up on YouTube claiming to cure the viral disease have been taken off. Recently, NYC police officials had asked domain registrars too to help in this fight against online scamming, leading to this decision by Namecheap. All these rules and preventive measures will help in tackling forums, websites, and apps that claim to have fake vaccines, cures, and preventing tactics. This step was taken as the last month saw thousands of new domain registrations all peddling phony information. However, such registrar companies took action as soon as NY Attorney General, Letitia James asked them to deploy stringent countermeasures regarding the same. While Namecheap has taken proactive steps to prevent such fraudulent registration, GoDaddy and Endurance seem to still rely on their abuse reporting capabilities. With the viral disease having spread aggressively, it is safe to assume that these companies too will come out with stricter measures in the coming days, as the world comes together to fight the COVID-19.

flipkart

Flipkart has Temporarily Shut down its Services Responding To The 21 Days Lockdown

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The victims of COVID-19 are rising at an alarming rate throughout the world. The Indian government is taking many steps to put an end to this outbreak. And, responding to the emergency lockdown of 21 days, Flipkart has temporarily put an end to its services. Though the demand for online services has recently increased, in the need of utter crisis it has come to a pause. Flipkart has never stopped its services before. But, now distancing is the best solution. In this journey of thirteen years, Flipkart has always given its best to give its customers the priority. Even a few days back also, Flipkart was taking orders and the delivery staff was working. But, after yesterday, everything has come to a sudden halt. It is expected to get over after 21 days. But, this is a vulnerable point where saving lives is more important in online shopping.

What has been shut down?

One of the biggest e-commerce platforms of India, Flipkart has announced the deactivation of its services. In response to the lockdown for 21 days, Flipkart has informed on its website and mobile phone’s application as well. It will be shutting down the online ordering, buying and selling of goods. Because home delivery is a huge risk both for the customers and the delivery men as well. And, the risk of spreading the virus grows exponentially if either of has it. Many people were relying on the services of Flipkart for daily basic needs. But, for the time being, the alternate way should be considered.

The Other Services of Flipkart

Though the company has shut down the delivery services, other activities are still online. Flipkart has not closed other services like video streaming, playing online games, online payment transactions, etc. They can be accessed online. Paying bills are also very crucial. So, Flipkart has still kept online the platform of bill payment so the users can pay their electric, phone, water bills, etc.

The social distancing has also gathered numerous audiences for the Flipkart Video Streaming platform. The Game Zone is also active as it is one of the most preferred things to do during this quarantine. The company has also come into a joint partnership with Give India to donate health kits to those who are in need.

Reassurance to resume

Flipkart will not be receiving orders anymore. And, the company has also reassured that it will be back as soon as possible. Customers should cooperate with them to fight off COVID-19 and they will resume at the earliest. On the other hand, Amazon has declared that it will be providing the services. But, the company in this crisis will only prioritize the basic needs of the people. Ordering anything except the essential products won’t be entertained for the time being.

Some of the important highlights 

Here are some important details about the sudden shutdown of services. Flipkart has around 30,000 delivery staff who will stop working temporarily. The crisis has affected every sector of our nation both economically and socially. Survival has become questionable, but somewhere down the line fear of unemployment is growing roots.

Delivery of extreme necessities like food essentials, pharmaceuticals, and medical types of equipment is the only exception. Apart from these, the lockdown applies for anything and everything and from anyone and everyone. It is not only Flipkart shutting down its services, but e-commerce platforms like Grofers and BigBasket are facing the same problems. After the analysis of the financial year 2018-2019, it is noted that the worth of the Indian e-commerce market sums up to $38.5 billion. And, the sudden destruction of this supply-chain market will bring one big loss for the business. The online grocery store of India, BigBasket has also declared about shutting down its services. Though they are receiving a tremendous amount of orders, they are helpless right now. Millions of customers rely on Flipkart, Amazon for their daily essentials. So, this 21-day lockdown will have a major effect on their lives. But, if doing this gives some positive feedback by eradicating COVID-19, then everyone should cooperate. Every big e-commerce companies in India are taking necessary actions in response to yesterday’s speech of our Prime Minister.

Reliance JIO

Reliance JIO and Microsoft Come Together to Improve Online Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic

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As the novel coronavirus continues its rampage throughout the world, most countries have been brought to a standstill. With worldwide cases having crossed 3 million, most nations have put in place severe restrictions. Almost all schools, universities and offices in Corona-hit countries have been shut. Therefore, this pandemic has had a significant impact on all our lives, rendering most services null. Most countries are shutting down their businesses and keeping alive only essential services. This has also made things difficult for traditional methods of education. The mass shutting of institutes has left millions without a class. Such dire circumstances have led to most major companies pledging their support to fight this pandemic. Recently, Reliance JIO announced that it would work with Microsoft to help the online learning industry in India. Here’s a look at everything you need to know regarding this partnership and what means to Indian students.

Indian Leaders Step Up

With the number of coronavirus cases in India exceeding the 500-mark, most Indian business houses are coming out with plans to help the government fight this epidemic. For instance, Mahindra and Paytm have already announced plans to help the government in various ways. Following suit was Reliance industries which recently pledged their full support for the government. The company has released a list of strategies they were putting in place. One of the main points here has been the help they have offered the online education industry in India.

With schools and colleges shutting across India, millions have been left without a classroom. In this light, to extend support to such students, JIO will partner with Microsoft to provide facilities to help schools and colleges function digitally. This sizeable digital collaboration will bring together these two tech giants and enable them to combine their resources. Their broad bandwidth and digital capabilities will help support both healthcare and educational institutions. This will go a long way in helping schools and colleges continue to function during social distancing and isolation.

Extended Internet

With most people being at home, internet services in the country are finding it challenging to keep up with service requests. Almost 90% of the country is under strict curfews and bans, resulting in large amounts of people working and studying from home. This has put an undue strain on our existing internet facilities, while also taxing individuals. To help such people, JIO has announced that they will provide the basic JioFiber connectivity at 10 Mbps, to whoever needs it, free of cost. The only requirement being that the area in consideration has enough range for their services.

Furthermore, JIO has also said that it will provide routers to people with a bare minimum refundable deposit. Also, existing users will have access to double the data limit they now have, and the same offer will hold for Jio 4G data vouchers. This move will significantly help the students all over the country who are now turning to online learning platforms for their educational needs.

Long-Awaited Partnership

While JIO and Microsoft have not provided further details regarding their partnership to help the online learning industry in India during such difficult times, this plan has been in motion for over a year now. In 2019, the two giants had decided to collaborate on a ten-year project, to help India go digital. This strategic relationship was to help accelerate India’s digital transformation by combining their capabilities and providing Indians with solutions for universal connectivity and storage issues they faced. The partnership would also lead to higher adoption of analytic services such as data science, artificial intelligence, and IOT in India. Details regarding their plans to help the online learning industry will most likely be along the same lines. Students all over the country are eagerly awaiting further details so that they can continue with their learning and education during these times.