The fastest production cars in the world

April 14, 2020, 4:14 am

≫ Next: Cautious hope for pandemic peak as Spain readies to reopen some factories

≪ Previous: Spain eases some restrictions as Covid-19 death toll passes 18,000

$

0

0

Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche all build cars capable of exceeding 200mph. The cars on this list can do significantly more than that...

Speed matters, especially when it comes to the fastest cars in the world.

But what manufacturers claim their multi-million pound hypercars are capable of and what they have actually been proven to achieve are two very different things. That’s why this list focuses on recorded times, not the ‘theoretical’ top speed figures. Unless it set a time in real life, it hasn’t made the cut.

Like owning a watch that works on the moon, or a pen that can write at 200m under the sea, it’s nice to know that, your car can perform miles-per-hour miracles - were you to find somewhere where it was safe and legal to do so.

With that in mind, here are the fastest production road cars by the numbers.

-8. McLaren F1 - 240.1mph-

Famously set by racing driver Andy Wallace at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track in March 1998, the monumental British hypercar carried the title of World’s fastest production car for the best part of 15 years. However, that figure required the rev limiter to be raised to 8,300rpm - no production F1 has ever been recorded at more than 211mph, though unmodified, the 6.1-litre V12 should be capable of a still astonishing 221mph.

*Autocar's exclusive McLaren F1 road test: 25 years on*

-7. Koenigsegg CCR - 241.1mph-

The car to knock the F1 off the top spot did do at Italy’s Nardo Ring test track in February 2005. Koenigsegg’s second-ever production model used a 4.7-litre twin-supercharged V8 to produce north of 800bhp and urge it on to beat McLaren by a single mile per hour. The record wouldn’t stand for long, however; just two months later, Bugatti would take the crown in spectacular fashion.

*Autocar road test review: Koenigsegg CC8S (2002-2004)*

-6. Bugatti Veyron 16.4 - 253.8mph-

At the time it was the most expensive and most powerful road car ever built, but VW Group bosses wanted the Bugatti Veyron to be officially the fastest car in the world as well. An 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine produced 987bhp from the factory, with a seven-speed automatic gearbox sending power all four wheels. The car had to be put into its Top Speed Mode for the run, activated with a special key that retracts the rear spoiler, shuts the front air diffuser and lowers the ground clearance to just 6.5cm. The result? A record-breaking 253.8mph at VW’s Ehra-Lessien test facility.

*Autocar road test review: Bugatti Veyron (2005-2015)*

-5. SSC Ultimate Aero TT - 256.1mph-

SSC, then known as Shelby Supercars, produced the Ultimate Aero for seven years - not a long lifespan, but long enough to overtake Bugatti in the top speed stakes. In September 2007, the 1183bhp, twin-turbocharged V8 hypercar used a temporarily-closed two-lane stretch of public road near the Washington company’s headquarters to set an average top speed of just over 256mph. 

*SSC Ultimate Aero TT first drive review*

-4. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport - 267.8mph-

Not happy to have the record taken from them, and by an American car at that, Bugatti gave the Veyron a substantial overhaul in order to raise its top speed even further and have a new go at winning the title. The Veyron Super Sport was limited to just 30 cars, with each one seeing power output boosted to 1184bhp and aerodynamics overhauled to cope with the forces it would experience beyond 250mph. In July 2010, Bugatti test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel lapped the Ehra-Lessien oval at 267.856mph.

*Used car buying guide: Bugatti Veyron (2005-2015)*

-3. Hennessey Venom GT - 270.4mph-

American tuning house Hennessey Performance Engineering is no stranger to speed, having previously taken its Dodge Viper-based Venom beyond 215mph. It was the Venom GT, which used a Lotus Exige as its foundation, that would go on to steal the record from Bugatti - though not without controversy. In February 2014, on the 3.2-mile space shuttle landing runway at Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre, it recorded a one-way speed of 270.49mph. However, NASA wouldn’t let Hennessey attempt an opposite direction run, and so didn’t qualify for an official Guinness World Record.

*Hennessey Venom GT sets new top speed record*

-2. Koenigsegg Agera RS - 277.8mph-

When it used a customer-owned Agera RS to earn the outright world record top speed in 2017, Koenigsegg also took the record for the highest speed ever recorded on a public road. Mercedes had held that particular crown since 1938 when a highly modified W125 Grand Prix car managed 268mph on a closed stretch of Autobahn. As an indication of 80 years of progress, the Agera RS was entirely standard, with the company’s optional 1MW engine package producing a colossal 1360bhp.

*Koenigsegg Agera RS breaks its own 0-400-0kph record*

-1. Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ - 304.7mph-

The undisputed top speed champion is once again a Bugatti. Again limited to 30 customer cars, like the Veyron Super Sport, this purpose-built speed machine was taken to 304.773mph by British sportscar veteran Andy Wallace at the VW Group’s Ehra-Lessien test track. Appropriately nicknamed Thor (because it brings the thunder), the Chiron’s quad-turbocharged W16 engine produced 1578bhp in record-setting guise. It was given a new gearbox with longer ratios, and front and rear bumpers that were optimised for high speed runs.

*Record 304mph Bugatti Chiron makes public debut*

-Who will be next to break the record? The contenders-

With Bugatti having promised to bow out of setting production car speed records, there are several potential successors to its crown.

Hennessey Venom F5 - over 300mph (claimed)

Hennessey says its Venom F5 carries on where the Venom GT left off, with a 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 1817bhp and 1193lb ft of torque. It should be capable of 0-60mph in under two seconds, and has a theoretical top speed of over 300mph.

*New 1600bhp, 300mph-plus Hennessey Venom F5 revealed*

SSC Tuatara - over 300mph (claimed)

SSC will only build 100 Tuatara hypercars, with each expected to cost upwards of $1.3 million, although customers have been waiting the best part of a decade for the project to see completion. Originally planned with a 6.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8, the production car is set to use a 5.9-litre block with a higher redline. On E85 fuel, it should produce 1750bhp and be capable of more than 300mph in a straight line.

*SSC Tuatara to chase speed record*

Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut - over 330mph (claimed)

You didn’t think Koenigsegg was going to let Bugatti keep the record for long, did you? The Swedish film has yet to confirm an official top speed for its 1600bhp+ hypercar, which it says will be the fastest car it will ever produce. Simulations suggest the combination of twin-turbocharged, 5.0-litre V8 engine, a low 0.278 drag coefficient and unique multi-clutch 9-speed transmission will allow for a top speed of 330mph. 

*New Koenigsegg Jesko: 300mph hypercar arrives at Goodwood*

*READ MORE*

*Fastest ever Nurburgring lap times - the definitive rundown*

*The fastest cars around the Autocar handling circuit*

*The fastest production car in each decade* Reported by Autocar 14 hours ago.

---

Cautious hope for pandemic peak as Spain readies to reopen some factories

April 14, 2020, 4:16 am

≫ Next: Patnaik says infections ‘going down’ in Odisha

≪ Previous: The fastest production cars in the world

$

0

0

Madrid (AFP) April 13, 2020

The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has slowed in some of the worst-hit countries, with Spain readying Monday to reopen parts of its economy as governments grapple with a once-in-a-century recession. Italy, France and the US have all seen a drop in COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, with Italy - the European nation most afflicted - reporting its lowest toll in more than three w Reported by Energy Daily 14 hours ago.

Patnaik says infections ‘going down’ in Odisha

April 14, 2020, 4:19 am

≫ Next: This Japanese painter found the faith through sacred art

≪ Previous: Cautious hope for pandemic peak as Spain readies to reopen some factories

$

0

0

The first case was reported in the State on March 15 when a student who returned to Bhubaneswar from Italy had tested positive for COVID-19. Reported by Hindu 14 hours ago.

This Japanese painter found the faith through sacred art

April 14, 2020, 4:21 am

≫ Next: Lancia Stratos: driving the reborn '70s rally car

≪ Previous: Patnaik says infections ‘going down’ in Odisha

$

0

0

Osamu Giovanni Micico had never read the Bible, knew nothing of the stories of Christ in the gospels, and had never heard of the apostles when his experience studying sacred art in Italy brought him to the Catholic faith.

The post This Japanese painter found the faith through sacred art appeared first on Catholic Herald. Reported by Catholic Herald 13 hours ago.

Lancia Stratos: driving the reborn '70s rally car

April 14, 2020, 4:43 am

≫ Next: How to end virus lockdowns? Technology, tests, coordination

≪ Previous: This Japanese painter found the faith through sacred art

$

0

0

Carbonfibre upper structure increases the stiffness of the MAT Stratos by 50%...

Having wowed rally fans in the 1970s with its jaw-dropping looks and Dino V6 soundtrack, the Stratos is back, thanks to MAT and the Ferrari F430

This is an idea that doesn’t want to die. Here we are, about to drive the third attempt to revive one of the most startling cars of the 1970s.

This time, its latest re-creators tell us, there will be 25 new cars, each costing €550,000 (about £486,000) and demanding a difficult sacrifice first.

We’ll get to that. First, some words about why the Stratos beguiled then and beguiles now. Mostly, it’s about the shape. An assertive wedge of glassfibre-encased spaceframe, Lancia’s 1972 rally missile was capped with a visor-like wrap of glass, its scrabbling, darting, time-compacting mission underlined by an arrestingly cropped wheelbase and stunted overhangs.

Anorak-clad rallyists might have glimpsed the chisel-nose first as it came at them, but a three-quarter front pose was more likely; the Lancia’s quicksilver scythings were visible confirmation of its back-biased mass. At night, its rear was unmistakable: a pair of big round lamps swinging gracefully between bends. All this to the accompaniment of spitting gravel shrapnel and the wolverine howl of a Ferrari Dino V6.

With that sound, your wide-eyed, night-time, forest-prowling fans would mutter ‘Stratos’ – an incantation freighted with far more excitement than a Ford Escort admirer’s knowing ‘BDA’ shout, no matter how hard Boreham’s ‘Belt Drive type A’ motor was shouting. There was magic about the Stratos then and there’s magic in it now.

*Driving the iconic Ferrari Dino*

So much magic, in fact, that a young car designer called Chris Hrabalek, whose father owned a remarkable collection of originals, decided to set about creating a modern version.

That was more than 12 years ago. Hrabalek had a full-size clay model built at a Paris studio in 2005 before hiring his own stand at the Geneva motor show to display it under the ‘Fenomenon’ brand name, having already acquired the rights to the Stratos badge. The finished lime green machine was striking not only for its crisp modernisation of Marcello Gandini’s original design but also for an unmissably fresh element in the shape of a central pillar for the curved windscreen, which was now split, each half forming part of the doors.

Geneva showed there seemed to be enough momentum behind the project to move it forward, with rumours of Prodrive getting the job of turning an impressive model into a functioning car. That ambition stalled, but not before it had inspired German car parts magnate Michael Stoschek. He commissioned Italian car design specialist Pininfarina to develop a third iteration of the Stratos using a Ferrari F430 Scuderia as a basis.

The Maranello car’s aluminium chassis was shortened to suit the Stratos’s proportions, while its engine was tuned to produce usefully more power.

The carbonfibre bodywork was built around the Ferrari’s aluminium spaceframe, to provide an exceptional power-to-weight ratio, while the weight distribution was very close to the ideal 50:50.

It was promising stuff. Stoschek went as far as holding an official launch for his car at Paul Ricard in 2010, with talk of perhaps producing a run of 25. But those cars never appeared, despite very favourable reviews of the Pininfarina one-off.

That seemed to be the end of the story until the 2018 Geneva motor show, when the very same black Stratos appeared on the Manifattura Automobili Torino (MAT) stand. It was there because this small Turin company decided to restart the project and build 25 examples. Stoschek is still involved, having granted MAT a licence to build the cars, but the project is now led by MAT boss Paolo Garella. The latter is not new to this project, having previously worked for Pininfarina, where he was deeply involved with it, reckoning that it was “one of the best one-offs built at Pininfarina”. He subsequently left, later set up MAT and has since produced track and road cars for Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and the Apollo Arrow.

During his career, he’s been involved with more than 50 new car projects, so his knowledge runs deep. In his workshop, we see his first Stratos, a demonstrator, and the creation of a second car is well under way.

It’s not long before we’re reminded that the jet-fighter wrap of a Stratos windscreen is not only a huge part of its visual appeal but also a huge part of the experience when you’re sitting behind it. Although this 21st-century Stratos has thicker pillars, they’re carbonfibre and a lot thinner than those of most modern cars.

And because they’re pulled back well to the car’s sides, you enjoy a panoramic vista into which to unleash a fat 542bhp. Indeed, width is in fairly plentiful supply given that this is a supercar, and it’s most noticeable when you look down at the door trims, which carry huge scoops suitable for crash helmets, just like the original car. They’re great for a lot more than helmets, making this a more practical machine than it looks – if you can live without a boot.

You must also live with instruments often blotted by not only the steering wheel but also a huge pair of carbonfibre paddle shifters and your hands. The aluminium-fronted binnacle references the original car’s, complete with the slightly haphazard dial location common in the 1970s.

Starting the Stratos is guaranteed to interrupt any thoughts you might have about the mixing of the old and new. Thumbing the red starter button on the steering wheel not only ignites the V8 but excites a light cacophony of vibratory sounds to go with it. The source of much of this is an optional Capristo exhaust system that enlivens the experience.

Pulling the right-hand paddle tips you into first gear and a world of yelping, yelling, air-ripping performance. Though not yet. Instead, Garella drives us to the foothills of the Alps near Fenestrelle, where you’ll also find the largest Alpine fortification in Europe. There’ll be no time to admire that, however, because our aim is instead to explore the dynamic habits of this Stratos on the kind of tangled Tarmac frequented by its rallying ancestor. These are tight roads too, making the opportunities to deep- sink the throttle rare and particularly thrilling when they come. Most of the time we’re lucky to even strike 4000rpm, which leaves another 4000rpm to go, but when the full untethering of the V8 occurs, the scene in that windscreen comes at you as if it’s dropping from the sky.

While your brain processes that, you’ll not only hear this Stratos’s Ferrari engine but feel it through your seat, too. If you want to experience the mechanical commotion of motion, you get it full-on in here. An amplified Ferrari engine is certainly appropriate to this car, given that the original Lancia was powered by the 2.4-litre V6 from the Dino. The MAT Stratos carries the 4.3-litre Ferrari V8 of an F430, albeit fitted with a new intake manifold designed to generate extra low-rev torque.

Still more recognisably Maranello is the steering wheel. It’s branded ‘Stratos’, but there’s no mistaking it as an F430 item, complete with a manettino dial. Once you’ve clocked that, you might notice more Ferrari parts, including the F430’s complete climate control system hanging beneath a bespoke Stratos dashboard, the passenger footbrace, the air vents, the centre console with its reverse gear button and more.

All of which brings us to the awkward issue of sacrifice. You’ve probably guessed it by now: in order to have a Stratos built, you must provide MAT with a Ferrari F430 to gut. It’s not a total sacrifice, of course, because much of the Ferrari’s aluminium chassis, the complete powertrain and the suspension form the basis of the new car. To the shortened chassis is attached a carbonfibre upper structure.

The result is a car far rarer than a mid-engined V8 Ferrari, but one that harnesses the F430’s superb e-diff-equipped running gear. Not that this goes unmodified: rather than using the Ferrari Skyhook electronic suspension, this car has Bilstein system, adjusted independently of the manettino, which controls the throttle map, transmission strategy, traction control and stability control. It takes some commitment to get to the point of electronic intervention, but on the way to it you discover strong chassis balance despite the shorter wheelbase, steering that’s more measured than you might expect and brakes that are very effective when you give them a decent shove. Great fluency is promised, aided by the paddle-shift transmission, although that promise is not yet fully realised.

You’ll discover an over-soft rear end that allows more roll than expected and some fore-and-aft pitching. Garella says that the chassis set-up isn’t yet finished and the rear dampers will be stiffened by 10% on the production versions. The Stratos rides well, but potholes and sharp bumps trouble it, which is a surprise given how good the F430’s small bump absorption is. Different wheel sizes are the cause of this, he says.

But it’s easy to see the Stratos’s potential. It’s more compact than an F430, you get a better view out, it’s faster and, for many, much of its allure will lie in its rarity. Garella says you can specify your own chassis configuration, and given how good the base Ferrari hardware is, it’s easy to imagine a sensationally entertaining set-up, and one that rides well, too.

This is far from a cheap car: the £70,000-plus cost of a donor F430 represents only a small percentage of the total bill, which nevertheless gets you a hand-built, well-developed and well-finished machine that will be satisfyingly rare.

This article was originally published on 12 August 2018. We're revisiting some of Autocar's most popular features to provide engaging content during these challenging times. 

*MAT Stratos*

*Where* Italy *Price* £487,000 (plus Ferrari F430 donor car) *On sale *Now *Engine* V8, 4308cc, petrol *Power* 532bhp at 8200rpm *Torque* 383lb ft at 3750rpm *Gearbox* 6-speed automatic* Kerb weight *1350kg* Top speed* 170-205mph *0-60mph* 3.3sec *Fuel economy* na *CO2* na *Rivals *McLaren 720S, Ferrari 488 GTB

*The car that changed rallying: *

The 1972 Lancia Stratos brought Italian supercar glamour to rallying and menace too. Not only to its square-cut Ford Escort and Fiat 131 Mirafiori rivals, but also its occupants: the Lancia’s twitchy handling often conjured sudden moments of stage fright. All this added to the mystique of the first car designed specifically for rallying.

Lancia struggled to sell the 500 examples required for homologation. The final batch was sold unfinished, and it’s believed that only 492 were actually made. That the Stratos won the 1975 and 1976 World Championship of Makes, the European Rally Championship in 1976 and 1978 and helped Markku Alén to an FIA Cup for Drivers title in 1978 is only a part of this car’s allure, much of which pivots on its still-remarkable design.

It would have won more, too, had Fiat not ended the internecine warfare created by simultaneously running works Fiat Abarth and Lancia rally teams. One team had to go and it was Lancia; commercial logic dictated that the 131 – a three-box saloon saved from stultifying dullness only by its fizzing twin-cam engine – continue to campaign.

*Read more *

*Used car buying guide: Lancia Delta HF Integrale​*

*Throwback Thursday: 1973 Lancia Beta 1800 road test​* Reported by Autocar 14 hours ago.

How to end virus lockdowns? Technology, tests, coordination

April 14, 2020, 4:46 am

≫ Next: 'Mixed picture' in Europe, COVID-19 vaccine at least 12 months off: WHO

≪ Previous: Lancia Stratos: driving the reborn '70s rally car

$

0

0

BERLIN (AP) — Governments battling a virus that has crossed borders with breathtaking swiftness pinned their hopes Tuesday on tests, technology and a coordinated approach to ease the tight social-distancing restrictions that have slowed the pandemic but strangled the global economy.

While the European Union looked into creating a COVID-19 smartphone app that could function across the bloc, governors on both U.S. coasts pledged to work together as they planned an end to the confinement of millions. The main concern is to avoid new coronavirus hot spots and flare-ups of infections but building such infrastructure while still in mid-crisis during the pandemic is proving difficult.

In India, the government on Tuesday extended the world's largest lockdown on 1.3 billion people until May 3 for most of the country, as its caseload crossed 10,000. In Britain, new data Tuesday showed hundreds more people died of the virus than have been recorded in the government’s daily tally from hospitals, including a tide of deaths in nursing homes.

China faced a new flare-up along its remote northern border with Russia. That vast border has been sealed and emergency medical units have rushed to the area to prevent travelers from bringing the virus back from overseas.

New infections appear to have leveled off in much of Asia and Europe, including Italy, France, Spain and Germany, said Dr. Sebastian Johnston, a professor of respiratory medicine at Imperial College London.

Even in New York — where reported coronavirus deaths passed 10,000 on Monday — Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared the “worst is over if we can continue to be smart.” More than 23,000 people have died of the virus in the United States overall, with 582,000 confirmed infections, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

With social distancing and lockdowns... Reported by SeattlePI.com 14 hours ago.

'Mixed picture' in Europe, COVID-19 vaccine at least 12 months off: WHO

April 14, 2020, 5:13 am

≫ Next: China's 'mask diplomacy' wins support in Eastern Europe

≪ Previous: How to end virus lockdowns? Technology, tests, coordination

$

0

0

The number of new cases of COVID-19 is easing in some parts of Europe, including Italy and Spain, but outbreaks are still growing in Britain and Turkey, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. Reported by Reuters India 13 hours ago.

China's 'mask diplomacy' wins support in Eastern Europe

April 14, 2020, 5:40 am

≫ Next: Austria, Spain, Italy, ease lockdown restrictions as Nigeria, France issue extension

≪ Previous: 'Mixed picture' in Europe, COVID-19 vaccine at least 12 months off: WHO

$

0

0

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — When China’s first shipment of coronavirus medical aid landed in Belgrade, the president of Serbia was there to kiss the Chinese flag. In Hungary, officials have played down assistance from the European Union and praised Beijing’s help. In the Czech Republic, its president says that only China was there during the virus spread.

While elsewhere China tries to polish an image tarnished by its initial handling of the coronavirus outbreak, Beijing has no problem maintaining its hard-won influence in parts of Eastern Europe, where it battles for clout with the EU as well as with Russia.

China was criticized in the West for its early mishandling of the health crisis due to politically motivated foot-dragging while the virus raced through a major province and its capital, Wuhan. Now it is seeking to change perceptions through “mask diplomacy” — a combination of soft power policy, political messaging and aid shipments — to portray Beijing as a generous and efficient ally.

China for years has been increasing its political and economic influence in southeastern Europe through its Belt and Road global investment projects. Its image-polishing after the outbreak found fertile ground in places like Serbia and Hungary, whose populist leaders nurture close ties with Beijing or Moscow.

The aid shipments also drew praise in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, although some virus test kits and face masks purchased from Chinese companies caused a stir because they didn't meet local standards.

“We must be aware there is a geopolitical component, including a struggle for influence, through spinning and the politics of generosity,” EU’s top foreign policy official Josep Borrell recently wrote in a blog, referring to China. “Armed with facts, we need to defend Europe... Reported by SeattlePI.com 13 hours ago.

---

Austria, Spain, Italy, ease lockdown restrictions as Nigeria, France issue extension

April 14, 2020, 5:41 am

≫ Next: WHO Says World Not Past COVID-19 Peak Despite Decline in New Cases in Spain, Italy

≪ Previous: China's 'mask diplomacy' wins support in Eastern Europe

$

0

0

Amidst heavy coronavirus cases, Spain, Italy, other European countries set to reopen economic activities.

The post Austria, Spain, Italy, ease lockdown restrictions as Nigeria, France issue extension appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria. Reported by Premium Times Nigeria 13 hours ago.

WHO Says World Not Past COVID-19 Peak Despite Decline in New Cases in Spain, Italy

April 14, 2020, 5:51 am

≫ Next: Coronavirus: What is the state of play in Europe’s major leagues?

≪ Previous: Austria, Spain, Italy, ease lockdown restrictions as Nigeria, France issue extension

$

0

0

Reported by RIA Nov. 12 hours ago.

Coronavirus: What is the state of play in Europe’s major leagues?

April 14, 2020, 6:26 am

≫ Next: World ‘certainly not seeing peak’ of Covid-19 yet, says WHO

≪ Previous: WHO Says World Not Past COVID-19 Peak Despite Decline in New Cases in Spain, Italy

$

0

0

When are we likely to see football return in France, Germany, Italy and Spain? Reported by BBC Sport 12 hours ago.

World ‘certainly not seeing peak’ of Covid-19 yet, says WHO

April 14, 2020, 6:39 am

≫ Next: 'It's been a crazy month': How Portugal's startups rapidly deployed 30 projects in a month to stem the coronavirus

≪ Previous: Coronavirus: What is the state of play in Europe’s major leagues?

$

0

0

The number of new cases of COVID-19 is easing in some parts of Europe, including Italy and Spain, but outbreaks are still growing in Britain and Turkey, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. Reported by France 24 12 hours ago.

'It's been a crazy month': How Portugal's startups rapidly deployed 30 projects in a month to stem the coronavirus

April 14, 2020, 6:40 am

≫ Next: Several European countries relax coronavirus restrictions

≪ Previous: World ‘certainly not seeing peak’ of Covid-19 yet, says WHO

$

0

0

· In just one month, Portugal's Tech4Covid19 has grown into a multi-level organization made up of more than 100 startups and over 5,000 volunteers. 
· Portugal has stemmed the rise in COVID-19-related deaths, recording just over 500 fatalities, compared to the tens of thousands in nearby Italy and Spain. 
· One project, "Rooms Against Covid", has so far provided 500 medical professionals with temporary accommodation to help them avoid passing the virus onto their family.
· As the emergency continues, Tech4Covid19 has moved beyond public health initiatives into helping the economy and education. 
· *Click here for more BI Prime stories.*

One month ago, Portugal had not suffered a single death related to coronavirus – but the nation watched in anxiety as the pandemic tore through European neighbors Italy and Spain. 

With an approaching health crisis on its doorstep, Portugal's entrepreneurs moved fast, effectively launching relief effort Tech4Covid19 over a series of WhatsApp messages one Saturday afternoon.  

"We just thought: We have so many talented people at our disposal and resources to spare," said Felipe Avila da Costa, the cofounder and CEO of Infraspeak, a logistics startup whose clients include Siemens and Domino's Pizza, at the time. 

Since then, Portugal has stemmed the rise in COVID-19-related deaths, recording just over 500 fatalities, compared to the tens of thousands in Italy and Spain. 

The effort has been helped in part by Tech4Covid19, which has morphed into a multi-tier organization pooling resources of more than 100 startups, 5,000 volunteers and a portfolio of more than 30 projects designed to counter the disease's impacts on public health, education and the economy. 

One particular project, Rooms Against Covid, has so far provided 500 medical professionals with temporary accommodation to help them avoid passing the virus onto their family – free of charge. 

"It was a lot of pressure bringing that to life," said project manager Mario Mouraz, the cofounder and CEO of Climber, a firm that helps hotels use dynamic pricing to offer the best prices for available rooms.

"I'm aware it wasn't a perfectly formed idea when we launched,  but there were so many doctors in need that we moved as quickly as possible." 

The initial success of the project convinced the Portuguese government to invest €12 million (or $13 million) in subsidizing the accommodation, paying the water and electricity bills. 

While the first weeks were spent finding healthtech solutions to the crisis, Tech4Covid19 has now expanded into edtech and schemes designed to bolster the local economy. 

Under one project, those with spare tablets or laptops can lend them to students without, allowing them to attend online classes. 

In another project, titled "Preserve", residents purchase vouchers tied to local businesses to spend at a later date, when social distancing restrictions have been lifted. 

"It's been a crazy month," Infraspeak's da Costa said. "The speed at which this developed from a few text messages to a movement with thousands of volunteers has been incredible." 

With no clear end in sight, the project's leaders say they hope to be able to pass the tools they have developed over to the state – and concentrate again on keeping their own businesses afloat. 

Startups all around the world have expressed anxiety about the lack of financial protection available, with many banks reluctant to hand out loans to loss-making scale-ups. 

Da Costa hopes the way Portugal's tech startups have stepped up to the plate in this crisis will endear them to officials, highlighting the way the French government set aside an extra €4 billion to bail out its own firms. 

Until then, he and his teammates are focused on scaling up their public health initiatives before handing the reins over to the government. 

"We are moving towards a place where the state can take over," he said. 

"Over the course of the next few months, we want to take the structures we have built and hand them to those in government who have the resources to make them sustainable." 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Tax Day is now July 15 — this is what it's like to do your own taxes for the very first time Reported by Business Insider 12 hours ago.

Several European countries relax coronavirus restrictions

April 14, 2020, 6:42 am

≫ Next: Arsenal find defensive solution as Juventus name price for Italy lynchpin

≪ Previous: 'It's been a crazy month': How Portugal's startups rapidly deployed 30 projects in a month to stem the coronavirus

$

0

0

Some businesses are slowly opening doors in Austria, Italy and Spain after strict lockdown measures. But the World Health Organization has warned that the region has "not yet seen the peak" in COVID-19 cases. Reported by Deutsche Welle 12 hours ago.

Arsenal find defensive solution as Juventus name price for Italy lynchpin

April 14, 2020, 7:01 am

≫ Next: Deserted Venetian lagoon

≪ Previous: Several European countries relax coronavirus restrictions

$

0

0

Arsenal reportedly plan to solve their problems in defence by making a move for a highly-regarded Juventus centre-back.

The post Arsenal find defensive solution as Juventus name price for Italy lynchpin appeared first on teamtalk.com. Reported by Team Talk 11 hours ago.

---

Deserted Venetian lagoon

April 14, 2020, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Compulsory selfies and contact-tracing: Authorities everywhere are using smartphones to track the coronavirus, and it's part of a massive increase in global surveillance

≪ Previous: Arsenal find defensive solution as Juventus name price for Italy lynchpin

$

0

0

Image: The Venetian lagoon appears almost deserted following Italy's lockdown to limit the spread of the coronavirus disease - as seen by Copernicus Sentinel-2 Reported by ESA 9 hours ago.

Compulsory selfies and contact-tracing: Authorities everywhere are using smartphones to track the coronavirus, and it's part of a massive increase in global surveillance

April 14, 2020, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Italy's daily coronavirus death toll climbs, but new cases lowest for a month

≪ Previous: Deserted Venetian lagoon

$

0

0

· As coronavirus sweeps across the globe, governments are stepping up surveillance.
· A new index from digital rights group Top10VPN documents which countries are introducing new measures to track people's phones.
· Some countries are collecting anonymized data to study the movement of people more generally, while others are providing detailed information about individuals' movements.
· Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Governments across the world are availing every surveillance tool at their disposal to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

Countries have been quick to use the one tool almost all of us carry with us: our smartphones. Governments are also receiving support from private tech companies. Google and Apple announced in April they were working together to develop an API which could be used by countries' health authorities in order to build coronavirus-tracking apps.

A live index of ramped up security measures by Top10VPN details the countries which have already brought in measures to track the phones of coronavirus patients, ranging from anonymized aggregated data to monitor the movement of people more generally, to the tracking of individual suspected patients and their contacts, known as contact tracing.

Samuel Woodhams, Top10VPN's Digital Rights Lead who compiled the index, warned that the world could slide into permanently increased surveillance.

"Without adequate tracking, there is a danger that these new, often highly invasive, measures will become the norm around the world," he told Business Insider. "Although some may appear entirely legitimate, many pose a risk to citizens' right to privacy and freedom of expression.

"Given how quickly things are changing, documenting the new measures is the first step to challenging potential overreach, providing scrutiny and holding corporations and governments to account."

While some countries will cap their new emergency measures, otherwise may retain the powers for future use. "There is a risk that many of these new capabilities will continue to be used following the outbreak," Woodhams said. "This is particularly significant as many of the new measures have avoided public and political scrutiny and do not include sunset clauses."

*Here's a breakdown of which countries have started tracking phone data, with varying degrees of invasiveness:*

-The US is reportedly gathering data from the ads industry to get an idea of where people are congregating-

Sources told The Wall Street Journal that federal, state, and local governments have begun to gather and study geolocation data to get a better idea of how people are moving about.

In one example, a source said the data had shown people were continuing to gather in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and this information had been handed over to local authorities. The eventual aim is to create a portal for government officials with data from up to 500 US cities.

The data is being gathered from the advertising industry, which often gains access to people's geolocation when they sign up to apps. Researcher Sam Woodhams says using the ad industry as a source poses a particular problem for privacy.

"Working closely with the ad tech industry to track citizens' whereabouts raises some significant concerns. The sector as a whole is renowned for its lack of transparency and many users will be unaware that these apps are tracking their movement to begin with. It is imperative that governments and all those involved in the collection of this sensitive data are transparent about how they operate and what measures are in place to ensure citizens' right to privacy is protected," Woodhams told Business Insider.

The US' coronavirus economic relief bill also included a $500 million for the CDC to build a "surveillance and data collection system" 

 -South Korea gives out detailed information about patients' whereabouts-

South Korea has gone a step further than other countries, tracking individuals' phones and creating a publicly available map to allow other citizens to check whether they may have crossed paths with any coronavirus patients.

The tracking data that goes into the map isn't limited to mobile phone data, credit card records and even face-to-face interviews with patients are being used to build a retroactive map of where they've been.

Not only is the map there for citizens to check, but the South Korean government is using it to proactively send regional text messages warning people they may have come into contact with someone carrying the virus.

The location given can be extremely specific, the Washington Post reported a text went out that said an infected person had been at the "Magic Coin Karaoke in Jayang-dong at midnight on Feb. 20."

Some texts give out more personal information however. A text reported by The Guardian read: "A woman in her 60s has just tested positive. Click on the link for the places she visited before she was hospitalised."

The director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jeong Eun-kyeong, acknowledged that the site infringes on civil liberties, saying: "It is true that public interests tend to be emphasized more than human rights of individuals when dealing with diseases that can infect others."

The map is already interfering with civil liberties, as a South Korean woman told the Washington Post that she had stopped attending a bar popular with lesbians for fear of being outed. "If I unknowingly contract the virus... that record will be released to the whole country," she said.

The system is also throwing up other unexpected challenges. The Guardian reported that one man claiming to be infected threatened various restaurants saying he would visit and hurt their custom unless they gave him money to stay away.-Iran asked citizens to download an invasive app-

Vice reported that Iran's government endorsed a coronavirus diagnosis app that collected users' real-time location data. 

On March 3, a message went out to millions of Iranian citizens telling them to install the app, called AC19, before going to a hospital or health center.

The app claimed to be able to diagnose the user with coronavirus by asking a series of yes or no questions. The app has since been removed from the Google Play store.-Israel passed new laws to spy on its citizens-

As part of a broad set of new surveillance measures approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 17, Israel's Security Agency will no longer have to obtain a court order to track individuals' phones. The new law also stipulates all data collected must be deleted after 30 days. 

Netanyahu described the new security measures as "invasive" in an address to the nation.

"We'll deploy measures we've only previously deployed against terrorists. Some of these will be invasive and infringe on the privacy of those affected. We must adopt a new routine," said Netanyahu.-Singapore has an app which can trace people within 2 meters of infected patients-

Singapore's Government Technology Agency and the Ministry of Health developed an app for contact tracing called TraceTogether which launched on March 20.

Per the Straits Times, the app is used "to identify people who have been in close proximity — within 2m for at least 30 minutes — to coronavirus patients using wireless Bluetooth technology."

"No geolocation data or other personal data is collected," TraceTogether said in an explanatory video.

Youtube Embed:
//www.youtube.com/embed/k1vCOx6RcWw
Width: 560px
Height: 315px

The app hasn't been widely adopted by the population however, with only 12% of Singaporeans downloading it.

Jason May, senior director at Singapore's Government Technology Agency and TraceTogether's product lead, warned against taking about automated contact-tracing as a "panacea" in a blog post published after Google and Apple announced their partnership.

"If you ask me whether any Bluetooth contact tracing system deployed or under development, anywhere in the world, is ready to replace manual contact tracing, I will say without qualification that the answer is, No," May wrote in a blog post.

He pointed out that other factors such as ventilation need to be taken into account when working out whether people are likely to have infected each other, which apps like TraceTogether can't know.-Taiwan can tell when quarantined people have left the house-

Taiwan has activated what it calls an "electronic fence," which tracks mobile phone data and alerts authorities when someone who is supposed to be quarantined at home is leaving the house.

"The goal is to stop people from running around and spreading the infection," said Jyan Hong-wei, head of Taiwan's Department of Cyber Security. Jyan added that local authorities and police should be able to respond to anyone who triggers an alert within 15 minutes.

Even having your phone turned off seems to be enough to warrant a police visit. An American student living in Taiwan wrote in a BBC article that he was visited by two police officers at 8:15 a.m. because his phone had run out of battery at 7:30 a.m. and the government had briefly lost track of him. The student was in quarantine at the time because he had arrived in Taiwan from Europe.-Austria is using anonymized data to map people's movements-

On March 17 Austria's biggest telecoms network operator Telekom Austria AG announced it was sharing anonymized location data with the government.

The technology being used was developed by a spin-off startup out of the University of Graz, and Telekom Austria said it is usually used to measure footfall in popular tourist sites.

Woodhams told Business Insider that while collecting aggregated data sets is less invasive than other measures, how that data could be used in future should still be cause for concern.

"Much of the data may remain at risk from re-identification, and it still provides governments with the ability to track the movement of large groups of its citizens," said Woodhams.-Poland is making people send selfies to prove they're quarantining correctly-

On March 20 the Polish government announced the release of a new app called "Home Quarantine." The point of the app is to make sure people who are supposed to be quarantining themselves for 14 days stay in place.

To use the app first you have to register a selfie, it then sends periodic requests for geo-located selfies. If the user fails to comply within 20 minutes, the police will be alerted.

"People in quarantine have a choice: either receive unexpected visits from the police, or download this app," a spokesman for Poland's Digital Ministry said.

The Polish government is automatically generating accounts for suspected quarantine patients, including people returning from abroad.-The UK is getting ready to release an opt-in contact-tracing app-

The UK confirmed in April that it is building an opt-in contact-tracing app for citizens which uses Bluetooth technology similar to Singapore's app.

The app will let people self-report if they develop symptoms, then send out a "yellow alert" to people that have been in their vicinity. If the person then gets an official COVID-19 diagnosis they will be able to enter a unique code into the app, which will then send out a "red alert."

While nothing official has been announced yet, the UK is also in talks with major telecoms providers including O2 and EE to provide large sets of anonymized data.

Google has also indicated it is taking part in discussions.-Belgium is using anonymized data from telcos-

The Belgian government gave the go-ahead on March 11 to start using anonymized data from local telecom companies.-Germany is modeling how people are moving around-

Deutsche Telekom announced on March 18 it would be sharing data with the Robert Koch Institute (Germany's version of the CDC). 

"With this we can model how people are moving around nationwide, on a state level, and even on a community level," a spokesperson for Deutsche Telekom told Die Welt.-Italy has created movement maps-

Italy, which has been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak, has also signed a deal with telecoms operators to collect anonymized location data.

As of March 18 Italy had charged 40,000 of its citizens with violating its lockdown laws, per The Guardian. Reported by Business Insider 10 hours ago.

Italy's daily coronavirus death toll climbs, but new cases lowest for a month

April 14, 2020, 9:10 am

≫ Next: European Markets Close Higher As Countries Set To Ease Lockdown Restrictions

≪ Previous: Compulsory selfies and contact-tracing: Authorities everywhere are using smartphones to track the coronavirus, and it's part of a massive increase in global surveillance

$

0

0

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 602 on Tuesday, up from 566 the day before, posting a second consecutive daily increase, but new infections slowed to 2,972 from 3,153, seeing the smallest daily tally since March 13. Reported by Reuters 9 hours ago.

European Markets Close Higher As Countries Set To Ease Lockdown Restrictions

April 14, 2020, 10:20 am

≫ Next: Italy's daily coronavirus death toll climbs by 602

≪ Previous: Italy's daily coronavirus death toll climbs, but new cases lowest for a month

$

0

0

Back to business after a long weekend, European markets ended mostly higher on Tuesday, reacting to reports showing the number of new infections due to the coronavirus pandemic saw a decline in several hot spots, and that a few countries including Spain and Italy are likely to lift some restrictions. Reported by RTTNews 8 hours ago.

Italy's daily coronavirus death toll climbs by 602

April 14, 2020, 10:33 am

≫ Next: France becomes fourth country to pass the 15,000 coronavirus death toll

≪ Previous: European Markets Close Higher As Countries Set To Ease Lockdown Restrictions

$

0

0

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 602 on Tuesday, up from 566 the day before, posting a second consecutive daily increase, but new infections slowed to 2,972 from 3,153, seeing the smallest daily tally since March 13. Reported by Reuters India 8 hours ago.