Montag, 7. August 2017

FDA Warns Fertility Doc: Stop Advertising Service That Creates ‘3-Parent’ Baby

Last year, you may have heard of an impressive medical accomplishment, where the gametes of three people were combined to make one healthy baby. The doctor behind that procedure has now been warned by the Food and Drug Administration for advertising the still-unapproved procedure.

Fresh egg

The procedure was invented for cases where an aspiring mother may pass on a disease of the mitochondria, the part of each cell that generates energy for the rest of the cell. Using the procedure — known as spindle transfer — scientists remove the nucleus (where most of the genetic information is stored) and transfer it into a donor egg, which has mitochondria without mutations. Then the egg is fertilized with the father’s sperm, as in regular in-vitro fertilization.

In the case of the “three-parent” baby born last year, the scientist, John Zhang, published an article where he detailed creating an embryo in the United States and implanting it in the patient in Mexico, which resulted in the birth of a healthy baby in 2016.

The FDA notices

Here’s the problem, though: The spindle transfer procedure hasn’t been approved, but Zhang continues to advertise it. While the technique was developed for use by women with mitochondrial diseases that they don’t want to pass on to their children, Dr. Zhang has also been advertising it as “a successful solution to age-related infertility,” letting women refresh aging eggs.

As a result of the published article and Zhang’s advertisements, the FDA has sent a letter [PDF] to the doctor and his businesses, warning the clinic to stop advertising the procedure online, since it can’t legally be performed on humans without an official clinical trial or FDA approval.

Last year, Zhang asked for permission from the FDA to begin approved experiments with spindle transfer. The agency was unable to do so, since it isn’t allowed to accept investigational new drug applications that would create a genetically modified human embryo.

Pinky-swear

Zhang committed to not marketing the procedure or performing spindle transfers in the United States for embryo transfers that would be performed outside of the country. Yet the published article and the clinic website show that he’s doing both, or at least trying to sell the service to interested prospective parents.

“Despite that commitment, you continue to market [spindle transfer] to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial disease and to treat infertility,” the FDA notes in its letter to Zhang and his companies.

The treatment is caught in a regulatory loop: It can’t be approved for testing by the FDA, and can’t be marketed to consumers until it’s approved by the agency, which won’t happen without testing.

Yet, as of publication of this story, the doctor’s website — complete with a New York City office address and phone number — continues to advertise the 3-parent procedure that Zhang can’t legally perform on humans in the U.S.:


by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Faraday Future finally gets its EV production plans | Engadget Today


The electric car maker has struggled to find a home. http://ift.tt/2hDdeok After abandoning its plans to open a manufacturing plant in Las Vegas, electric car maker Faraday Future has found a new home. The company has signed a lease for a 1,000,000-square foot facility in Hanford, California, and more than 500 employees were already onsite last Saturday decorating the building. Considering Faraday's close ties to troubled Chinese tech conglomerate LeEco and its own financial woes, we're not entirely sure if the EV maker has the money to see this development through. COO/CFO Stefan Krause addressed the uncertainty and skepticism around Faraday's future (ha) in a statement about the new plant, saying "We know there is a lot of work and risks ahead, but this event represents a major step forward for the company." Subscribe to Engadget on YouTube: http://engt.co/subscribe Get More Engadget: • Like us on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1k1iCZT • Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/engadget • Follow us on Instagram: http://ift.tt/1k1iCZV • Add us on Snapchat: http://ift.tt/1UqS18a • Read more: http://www.engadget.com Engadget is the definitive guide to this connected life.
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Genesis Virtual Guide: Simple ways to become familiar with vehicle capabilities


Video provided by Genesis. Augmented reality (AR) has come to your luxury car. The Genesis Augmented Reality Manual (Genesis Virtual Guide) is now available for the 2017 Genesis G80 and Genesis G90 as a free download on the Apple® App Store and Google Play®.
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Federal Court Confirms: Patent Troll Doesn’t Control The Entire Idea Of “Podcasting”

The idea of recording audio and video shows and then posting them online seems rather common-sense, and thousands of people were doing it around the world long before anyone ever coined the term “podcast.” Yet that didn’t stop one company from demanding payment from broadcasters, claiming it holds the patent on the very concept of podcasting. Hopefully this particular piece of trolling has come to an end, with a federal appeals court affirming a previous decision that this patent was trying to protect an invention that already existed.

In 2012, a company called Personal Audio received a patent for a “System for disseminating media content representing episodes in a serialized sequence,” effectively claiming that it had invented the very idea of podcasting 16 years earlier in 1996.

Personal Audio soon set about filing legal claims against podcasters of varying sizes, including big names like comedian Adam Carolla, CBS, and CNN, demanding payment for allegedly infringing on this “podcasting patent.” CBS actually lost its legal challenge to the patent claim, and Carolla settled out of court with Personal Audio.

In an attempt to stop this trolling, the Electronic Frontier Foundation petitioned the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office in 2013, pointing out that even if you believe Personal Audio’s assertion that it came up with the podcasting patent in 1996, the company was already years late to the podcast party.

In its petition [PDF], the EFF pointed to three high-profile examples of pre-1996 podcasting: “Geek of the Week,” a recorded talk show from tech expert and author Carl Malamud, which began in 1993 and managed to garner more than 100,000 total listeners despite the slow and sparse internet connections at the time; the Canadian Broadcast Corporation’s year-long trial of internet radio broadcasts, which began in Dec. 1993; and CNN’s online news episodes that predate Personal Audio’s supposed invention of podcasting.

Core to the Personal Audio patent claim was not just the notion of recording something and putting it online for people to download, but also the use of a “compilation file” to identify new episodes in a series as those episodes became available. But the EFF claimed that there is nothing novel about this idea, and that “Geek of the Week” and the other early podcasts did exactly what the compilation file part of the Personal Audio patent claims to invent — just years earlier.

The Patent folks heard arguments from EFF and Personal Audio in Dec. 2014, and then ruled four months later that the disputed claims in the Personal Audio patent are actual unpatentable because the pre-1996 online audio recordings had already created the process being patented. What’s more, these programs had been repeatedly detailed in literature that the supposed inventors would reasonably have been aware of at the time.

Since Personal Audio’s entire business model is built on obtaining licensing payments for patents, it appealed the Patent Office’s decision to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, hoping to get a reversal.

But today, a three-judge panel unanimously affirmed, point-by-point, the Patent Office’s determination that Personal Audio’s claims can’t be patented [PDF].

“We’re pleased that the Federal Circuit agreed that the podcasting patent is invalid,” said Daniel Nazer, Staff Attorney at EFF and the Mark Cuban Chair to Eliminate Stupid Patents. “We appreciate all the support the podcasting community gave in fighting this bad patent.”

EFF cautions that this celebration could be short-lived, as Personal Audio can still ask the Supreme Court to hear the case.


by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Papaya Recall Expanded, More Than 100 Salmonella Cases Linked To Fruit

Late last month, federal food safety regulators revealed they had linked a possible Salmonella Kiambu outbreak, including several illnesses and one death, to recalled papayas. Now a second recall has been initiated, as the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue investigating the outbreak, announcing that more than one hundred people have fallen ill.  

Latest Recall

Agroson’s announced Friday the recall of 2,483 boxes of Maradol Papaya Cavi brand papayas grown and packed by Carica de Campeche after other brands of papayas grown at the same farm tested positive for Salmonella.

According to a notice posted with the FDA, the papayas were distributed to wholesalers in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey from July 16 to July 19.

The company notes that the fruit was available for sale to retail customers until July 31. No illnesses have been reported related to the Cavi brand papayas.

The affected fruit can be identified by the PLU sticker, cavi MEXICO 4395.

Wholesale customers that received the papayas have been notified to remove the recalled product from inventory, store shelves, and other commercial venues. Agroson’s says it is performing “recall effectiveness” checks on those customers.

Agroson’s notes that it has ceased importing papayas from Carica de Compeche.

The company says it is taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of its imported produce by taking samples of every load to a private lab, and testing for Salmonella. It is also cooperating with regulators’ investigation into the outbreak.

The Investigation

In late July, Grande Produce informed the FDA that it initiated a limited recall of its Caribeña brand Maradol papayas distributed nationwide from July 7 – July 18, 2017.

Those papayas, the FDA said, had been linked to a recent outbreak of salmonella: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 47 cases, 12 hospitalizations and one death from 12 states in the Salmonella Kiambu outbreak reported so far.

The states involved are IA, KY, LA, MA, MD, MN, NJ, NY, PA, TX, UT and VA.

More Illnesses

In an update Friday, the CDC said that the outbreak investigation now included 109 ill people from 16 states. So far, 35 of those individuals have been hospitalized.

Additionally, the outbreak investigation has been expanded to include Salmonella Thompson illness.

According to the CDC, the expansion came after samples from papayas sold in Maryland returned outbreak strains of Salmonella Kiambu and Salmonella Thompson.

As a result, the FDA is working to identify other brands of papayas that may have originated from Carica de Campeche and facilitate recalls.


by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

4 Things LuLaRoe Sellers Say About The Stress & Cost Of Their Job

LuLaRoe, best known as the company behind the lycra leggings that at least six of your high school friends are trying to sell through Facebook, markets itself to freelance “consultants” as a possible pathway to financial independence and stability. But once again, LuLaRoe sellers are coming out of the woodwork to allege that this job is putting stress on their well-being, financially and physically. 
Previously, LuLaRoe consultants have talked about what they perceived as problems with the company, particularly with regard to quality control, pricing, and inventory.

Now Quartz has taken an even more in-depth look at the culture and costs of living the LuLaRoe life, and turned up sellers who claim they are being driven into debt, say they were misled into paying for thousands of dollars in items they could not sell, and allegations of bullying and harassment.

We recommend checking out the full Quartz story when you have the time, but here are just a few of the important takeaways.

1. The Hope

With promises of an endless stream of customers and ever-expanding opportunities to run their own business, it’s not hard to see why many women would be attracted to selling LuLaRoe clothing.

Kayla tells Quartz she first learned of the company after a friend invited her to an in-home party, and decided to join the company after hearing how much consultants were making through sales — sometimes as much as tens of thousands of dollars a month.

“I realized if they’re making the money that they say they’re making all over their Facebook pages and how it’s life changing, why can’t it change my life?” she recalls.

2. The Cost

But in order to make money, you have to spend money. Like other multi-level marketing (MLM) companies, those who want to sell LuLaRoe must purchase their own inventory from the company. And that can be expensive, with reps telling Quartz that they paid between $4,000 and $6,000 for initial inventory packages.

These packages, a LuLaRoe spokesperson tells Quartz, are “designed to provide sufficient inventory to help retailers succeed.”

The hitch, according to some of the sellers Quartz spoke to, is that they have no say in what products come in this initial shipment. To get items they believe they’ll have a better chance of selling, the consultants say they have to go out of pocket to purchase additional products.

This expense is in addition to the fact that reps say they are required to make a minimum purchase of 33 pieces a month, totaling around $350, in order to remain active.

3. The Debt

Many reps tell Quartz they were encouraged by their upline — the person who signed them up to sell products — to buy thousands of dollars more in inventory after their initial package. Sometimes these consultant groups suggest reps take out credit cards or even crowdfund to raise money for their shops.

Kayla says other consultants suggested she obtain a low-interest line of credit to make these additional purchases.

At first, things went well, says Kayla, who quit her full-time job after earning between $3,000 to $5,000 a month during the first few months.

However, the real key to a successful MLM operation is that sellers are always recruiting new sellers. While this means the parent company is moving more inventory, the influx of competition can also cannibalize the market.

Between this increased competition and waning interest, Kayla says she hasn’t been able to recoup her expenses.

Another seller, Ashley, told Quartz she opened three credit cards to cover her initial purchases. And when her sales declined after a few months, Ashley says her consultant group blamed low inventory, urging her to buy more.

Ultimately, Ashley says she was only making $500/month, but had $8,000 in LuLaRoe inventory she couldn’t sell.

A rep for LuLaRoe tells Quartz the reps should “absolutely never put their personal financial situation at unreasonable risk to establish or operate their retailer business.”

Of course, not all reps have fallen into debt while hawking shirts, skirts, and other clothing items. Quartz notes that some consultants, usually those who came onboard early, have been able to make quite a payday.

4. The Stress

Still, those who have struggled in selling LuLaRoe say they aren’t only hurting financially, but emotionally and psychologically.

Consultant Sophie tells Quartz that after falling into a debt trap of sorts where she would buy more inventory in order to muster up more sales, the venture started to take a toll on her health.

When she started having panic attacks, she told Quartz she had to get on anxiety medication.

Another rep said her business began to affect her family life. While Sarah tells Quartz that she was making tens of thousands of dollars at the peak of her business, she was also consumed by maintaining the sales.

She says she finally realized she needed to take a step back after she found she was spending all her time uploading items and participating in multi-consultant sales instead of with her family. When she took her daughter to dance class, instead of actively interacting with others, she was busy managing her Facebook group.

For its part, a rep for LuLaRoe tells Quartz that the company invests “considerable time, resources, and talent” to support consultants.

Still, the company maintains that consultants are responsible for their own success and failures.

“Retailers own their own business and make their own decisions…The success of any business depends on its leader’s own respective and independent business goals, and the strategies they employ to achieve those goals,” a spokesperson said.

For more information about LuLaRoe and consultant’s experiences, check out Quartz’s full story.


by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

Scholl äußert sich erstmals zum Confed-Cup-Zoff mit der ARD

Mitten im Confed Cup sprang Mehmet Scholl als TV-Experte der ARD ab. Erstmals nimmt Deutschlands beliebtester Fernseh-Fachmann Stellung zu den Hintergründen. Versöhnlich klingt er auch Wochen später nicht.
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Die Angst der Studenten vor der BAföG-Falle

Trotz Reform ist die Zahl der BAföG-Empfänger auf das Niveau von 1991 gesunken. Das Fördergeld ist offenbar bei Studenten schlecht beleumundet. Laut Studentenwerk und Politik steht das ganze System vor der Sinnfrage.
by Thomas Vitzthum via Endless Supplies .De - News

Ehemann sticht brutal auf sie ein. Doch seine Frau zeigt Verständnis

Ein 55-jähriger Mann soll mit mehreren Küchenmessern auf seine Ehefrau eingestochen haben. Sie wurde dabei lebensgefährlich verletzt, musste reanimiert werden. Und gibt sich vor Gericht selber die Schuld.
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Schlimm, dass man überhaupt für BAföG werben müsste

Immer weniger junge Leute wollen sich für ein Studium verschulden. Vor allem Nachkommen von Migranten scheuen davor zurück. Die Politik muss ihnen die unbegründete Angst davor nehmen.
by Thomas Vitzthum via Endless Supplies .De - News

Polizeivideo lässt Zweifel an Darstellung der Behörden aufkommen

Ein Video und ein interner Ermittlungsbericht scheinen ein neues Licht auf einen Polizeieinsatz in Hamburg-Altona zum G-20-Gipfel zu werfen. Die Linke will einen Untersuchungsausschuss.
by Denis Fengler via Endless Supplies .De - News

„Nur den Terroristen bietet dieses Deutschland Unterschlupf“

In einer Rede warf der türkische Staatspräsident Erdogan Deutschland erneut vor, türkischen Terroristen Schutz zu bieten. Außerdem machte er allen türkischen Staatsbürgern im Ausland eine große Ankündigung.
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„Er begrapschte einen intimen Teil auf unangemessene Weise“

Taylor Swift verklagt einen 51-jährigen Radiomoderator. Er habe sie unsittlich berührt. Während eines Fototermins. Der Moderator verlor daraufhin seinen Job. Besonders pikant: Wer während des Vorfalls noch anwesend war.
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Wulffs Ehrensold ist nicht mehr zeitgemäß

Das Geld des Steuerzahlers soll ehemalige Bundespräsidenten eigentlich vor Nebentätigkeiten bewahren. Bei Christian Wulff aber kommt noch einiges oben drauf. Es wäre Zeit, die Gesetzeslage zu ändern.
by Rainer Haubrich via Endless Supplies .De - News

Mayday - Explosion nach der Landung

China-Airlines-Flug 120 hat eine ruhige Reise hinter sich, als er am 20. August 2007 planmäßig in Okinawa, Japan landet. Doch nachdem die Boeing 737 geparkt ist und die Passagiere beginnen, ihr Handgepäck zu nehmen, breitet sich, ausgehend von der rechten Tragfläche, ein Feuer aus. Kurz darauf explodiert die Maschine. Was führte den überraschenden Brand herbei? Im Zuge der Untersuchungen machen di
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Mayday - High in the Sky

Am 19. Januar 1988 ist Continental Express-Flug 2286 auf der Reise nach Durango, Colorado. Doch während des Landeanflugs stürzt das zweimotorige Turbopropflugzeug nur wenige Kilometer vor seinem Ziel ab - neun von insgesamt 17 Menschen an Bord kommen ums Leben. Was verursachte den verhängnisvollen Absturz? Wäre dieser vielleicht vermeidbar gewesen? Die Ermittler stehen zunächst vor einem Rätsel, b
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Mayday - Im toten Winkel

Frankreich im Sommer 1998: Der Pilot des Fluges Proteus Airlines 706 will den 14 Passagieren an Bord seiner Maschine etwas Besonderes bieten: Einen Blick auf die "SS Norway", das seinerzeit längste Fahrgastschiff der Welt. Um den Ozeanriesen zu umfliegen, sinkt die Beechcraft 1900D auf eine Höhe von nur 2000 Metern. Doch beim außerplanmäßigen Manöver kollidiert der Flieger in der Luft mit einem Kl
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Bewaffneter Mann aus Sachsen weiter auf der Flucht

Eine Polizeistreife entdeckt einen mit Haftbefehl gesuchten Mann und schlägt Alarm. Doch der bewaffnete 43-Jährige entkommt. Bisher fehlt jede Spur von ihm - nun wird er wegen versuchten Totschlags gesucht.
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Bruch des Völkerrechts – Bundesregierung widerspricht Lindner

FDP-Chef Lindner spricht sich für eine Anerkennung der Krim als „dauerhaftes Provisorium“ aus. Die Bundesregierung widerspricht dem nun. Die russische Annexion der Krim werde als Bruch des Völkerrechts betrachtet.
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Senior fährt in falsche Richtung – und in falscher Stadt

Schreck für Autofahrer: In einem Kreisverkehr in Münster kommt ihnen ein Falschfahrer entgegen. Am Steuer sitzt ein 83-jähriger Rentner, der glaubt, er sei in Bielefeld.
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Migranten stürmen Grenze zwischen Marokko und EU

Eine Gruppe afrikanischer Migranten hat einen mit Sicherheitskräften bemannten Grenzposten in der Exklave Ceuta gestürmt und so spanisches Territorium erreicht. Danach feierten sie ihren Erfolg.
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Auf dem Smartphone : Google testet neue Trefferliste – und würde damit alles verändern

Unsere Ergebnisse auf Google könnten bald komplett anders aussehen – zumindest in der mobilen Version. Wie die Seite The Next Web entdeckt haben will, könnten demnächst die URLs in der Trefferliste wegfallen. Die Trefferliste könnte dann so aussehen, wie in dem nachfolgenden Tweet angezeigt.


by Madlen Schäfer via Endless Supplies .De - News

„Künftig wird halt nur noch geheiratet“

Im Herbst tritt das Gesetz zur „Ehe für alle“ tritt in Kraft. Ob die bayerischen Standesämter dann mit einem großen Ansturm zu rechnen haben, ist noch unklar. An der Umsetzung arbeiten sie aber schon jetzt.
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Supertalent Zverev rückt auf Platz vier vor

Titel Nummer vier in dieser Saison und das große Finale fest im Blick: Alexander Zverev sorgt weiter für Furore. Neuerdings gehört ein ehemaliger Weltranglistenerster zu seinem Trainerteam.
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Pilotless Planes Could Save Airlines $35B — If Anyone Is Willing To Fly In Them

While we’ve been getting used to the idea of driverless cars over the last few years, would you be willing to slip into an autonomous vehicle that’s, uh, quite a bit larger? Like the size of a jetliner, perhaps?

Look, Ma! No hands!

Commercial planes already have the ability to take off, cruise, and land using onboard flight computers, but removing pilots from the cockpit entirely could bring “material economic benefits” — a savings of $35 billion per year — to airlines and improve safety, a recent report by UBS (via The Guardian) notes. These planes could, for example, be controlled by a pilot remotely on the ground.

UBS estimates that pilots cost $31 billion per year, plus $3 billion in training. Autonomous planes would also be more efficient, UBS notes, bringing in another $1 billion in fuel savings.

It could be just the thing the airline industry needs: A recent report from a pilot training company said 255,000 new airline pilots must be added over the next 10 years in order for airlines to sustain the growth and support retirements of current pilots.

Pilotless planes could even reduce fares, making them an attractive option for many travelers.

“The average percentage of total cost and average benefit that could be passed onto passengers in price reduction for the U.S. airlines is 11%,” the report said, noting that savings in Europe would be less.

Thanks, but no thanks

However, in order for anyone to save any amount of money, airlines will first have to convince people to actually fly in these pilotless aircraft: A UBS survey of 8,000 people found that 54% of them wouldn’t be willing to flying in a pilotless plane, while just 17% said they’d be totally into the idea.

“Perhaps surprisingly, half of the respondents said that they would not buy the pilotless flight ticket even if it was cheaper,” the report said.

As technology improves, however, younger people may be more likely to take a trip in a fully autonomous plane, UBS notes.

In the works

To that end, Boeing is already working on the concept of pilotless planes, with a goal of testing such technology next year.

“The basic building blocks of the technology clearly are available,” Mike Sinnett, Boeing’s vice president of product development, told Reuters in June.


by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Doug mounts a tablet to the kitchen wall


By all important measures except for one, gadget reviewer Doug Aamoth is a true American success story. The only thing that's missing? He doesn't have a tablet mounted to his kitchen wall that serves as a music player, TV, and digital organizer. Watch more Doug videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHRxVckaE8dZ_Q5RDbxqPp3op9fQrols8
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Mobile management acronyms explained


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Michelin's 3D printed VISION Tire first look


Subscribe to Engadget on YouTube: http://engt.co/subscribe Get More Engadget: • Like us on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1k1iCZT • Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/engadget • Follow us on Instagram: http://ift.tt/1k1iCZV • Add us on Snapchat: http://ift.tt/1UqS18a • Read more: http://www.engadget.com Engadget is the definitive guide to this connected life.
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Oomi's intriguing smart home kit costs way too much


Read the CNET review here - http://cnet.co/2fn3ZIi There's a lot to like about this versatile smart home system -- except for the $700 price tag, that is. Subscribe to CNET: http://cnet.co/2heRhep Check out our playlists: http://cnet.co/2g8kcf4 Like us on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1930vfU Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cnet Follow us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2icCYYm Add us on Snapchat: http://cnet.co/2h4uoK3
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Mingis on Tech: Why companies are turning to 2-in-1s


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Google engineer's manifesto on diversity causes big stir


A treatise that went viral within Google's ranks blames biology for why women are underrepresented in tech. Subscribe to CNET: http://cnet.co/2heRhep Check out our playlists: http://cnet.co/2g8kcf4 Like us on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1930vfU Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cnet Follow us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2icCYYm Add us on Snapchat: http://cnet.co/2h4uoK3
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Hotel Group Attack Ad Falsely Links Airbnb To Terrorism

There are a lot of justifiable reasons to take issue with home-rental platforms like airbnb: “Mega hosts” who are renting out dozens — maybe hundreds — of listings without being subject to hotel taxes or regulations; hosts who will turn just about any vaguely inhabitable space into a rental property; and allegations that airbnb fails to properly vet hosts. But one anti-airbnb hotel group has gone a step further, using incidents of real human tragedy to try to create a false link between airbnb and terrorism.

Renting rooms to terrorists?

An ad campaign sponsored by a trade group of New York City hotels and two unions that represent hotel workers aims to connect short-term rentals on Airbnb with short-term housing for terrorists. The ads air on various cable channels, including news programs and Mets and Yankees games, and are meant to make New Yorkers wonder who their neighbors could be renting to.

The video cites a recent terror attack in its attempt to link airbnb to public safety: The May 22 bombing of an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, UK. The bomber in that incident was indeed staying in a short-term rental rented through a local agency, and reportedly received large packages during his time there.

However, the terrorist in Manchester was not in any way connected to airbnb.

Find rentals, then shut ’em down

The hotel group implies that airbnb rentals are similar, and this means that law enforcement should know the addresses of properties that are rented out. The ads seem to sort of support a bill before the state Assembly that would require all rentals on airbnb and similar sites to put their complete addresses on their listings. That’s not directly related to terrorism, but would let law enforcement connect possible illegal rentals with actual addresses.

The bill’s sponsor says that it’s to ensure that hosts are following their local rules, which means narrowing down which borough, county, or town a rental is in.

“It’s crucial that enforcement agencies have access to address information to ensure that airbnb and other short-term rentals comply with the laws designed to protect affordable housing, and the safety of residents, guests and communities,” Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal of Manhattan told the Daily News.

About those ads, though

An airbnb spokesman pointed out one obvious problem with the ads to the New York Daily News: There are no known terrorists who have stayed in lodgings rented through airbnb. The 9/11 hijackers stayed in hotels, as did the terrorists who attacked Paris in 2015. Staying somewhere without anyone knowing where you are has historically been hotels’ thing.

Naturally, airbnb has already fired back with an ad of its own featuring a likable family of hosts in Brooklyn who have used the extra income to make their lives better. The ad condemns the group’s scare tactics, but doesn’t say anything about terrorists staying in hotels.


by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Little Caesars Launching ‘Pizza Portals’ So You Can Avoid Human Interaction

Though Little Caesars’ new “pizza portal” sounds like a wonderful machine that could magically zap you to any far-flung pizza destination you desire, the reality is that it’s just another way we humans can get our grub while not having to actually speak to each other.

Pizza pizza, portal portal

Little Caesars is testing a new “Reserve-N-Ready” service — in about a dozen locations in Arizona — that allows customers to pick up their mobile orders from a hot box located in the restaurant.

Here’s how it works:

• After ordering and paying for their food on the Little Caesars mobile app, customers will then be notified when their order is ready.

• Once they’ve arrived at the store, customers input a three-digit PIN or scan a QR code on the Pizza Portal. A door will pop open to reveal the customer’s order.

Avoiding humans elsewhere

Little Caesars isn’t alone in marketing to those of us who are hungry but want to avoid all human contact whenever possible:

McDonald’s has been rolling out self-service ordering kiosks in restaurants since 2016, including in New York City where we interacted with them in the wild.

Panera also offers a pickup service that lets customers order online, then just show up and grab their food from a special area in their local restaurant.

And then there are other restaurants like the high-end eatery Eatsa, which acts more like a traditional automat: The San Francisco restaurant uses tablets to take customer orders, and then serves up meals from cubbies with translucent screens on the front bearing the customer’s name.


by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Lyft Driver Says She Was Attacked, Robbed In Road-Rage Incident

Road rage is nothing new, but a Lyft driver in California says she was brutally attacked and then robbed in what she’s calling a road rage incident.

The full-time Lyft driver tells CBS Los Angeles she had just completed a trip with a customer and was fueling up at a gas station when two women jumped out of a car and started yelling insults at her, then began hitting her and grabbing her by her hair. Bystanders tried to step in, but the Lyft driver says her attackers threatened them, too.

An eyewitness caught the disturbing attack on video.

“I can’t watch it — see myself being dragged across a gas station for no reason,” the driver said, adding that she may never drive for Lyft again.

After the attack, she says the suspects took her wallet, her phone, and her rent money.

Although the car the women were in had an Uber sticker displayed on it, the company told the news station that the vehicle’s registered owner is a man who hasn’t driven on the platform for two months.

Lyft said the company’s thoughts are with the driver as she “recovers from this terrible ordeal,” and that they’re ready to assist with law enforcement.

“There is no place for such violence in our society,” the company said.


by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

31 Senators Ask Trump Administration To Not Strip Nursing Home Residents, Families Of Their Legal Rights

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the U.S. have faced increasing criticism for shoddy care and bad business practices. At the same time, many of these facilities have begun using contractual language that explicitly prohibits residents or their loved ones from filing lawsuits when things go wrong. Now dozens of senators are calling on the Trump administration to rethink its decision to let this practice continue.

A quick catch-up for those coming to this story late: America’s nursing homes have been adding forced arbitration clauses to their residents’ contracts in recent years. These clauses allow the nursing home operator to force any legal challenge out of the court system and into private arbitration. More importantly, these clauses almost always bar similarly wronged residents (or their families) from joining together in a class action, even in arbitration.

This is particularly troublesome in the elder-care world, as many nursing home residents are on fixed incomes, so it may be cost-prohibitive to even try to mount a successful arbitration case on one’s own.

In 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled an overhaul to its regulations for long-term care (LTC) facilities. Included in that massive update was a new rule stating that any LTC facility that wanted to accept Medicaid or Medicare money would have to stop using forced arbitration going forward. Existing contracts would not be affected.

The LTC industry lobbyists at the American Health Care Association sued to stop the rule, and a court put the new regulation on hold pending the outcome of that case.

Here is where we are required to point out the irony of the LTC industry filing a lawsuit to preserve its authority to prevent its customers from filing lawsuits.

Then in June, after the Trump administration abandoned the legal fight with AHCA over the anti-arbitration rule, the new folks at CMS announced their intention to formally roll back the regulation.

The new CMS plan attempts to paint a pro-consumer face on this revision by saying that the even-newer rule will require that nursing home patients be told up-front about arbitration clauses and that they be provided with a clear explanation of what they are signing away.

But as we pointed out in June, this does nothing to add any consumer choice to the matter. The resident must still either take the agreement or leave it, and hope to find an LTC facility somewhere that actually appreciates the Sixth and Seventh Amendments.

This morning, a group of 31 senators wrote to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, calling on the agency and the Trump administration to rethink its position.

“Forced arbitration clauses in nursing home agreements stack the deck against residents and their families who face a wide range of potential harms, including physical abuse and neglect, sexual assault, and even wrongful death at the hands of those working in and managing long-term care facilities,” reads the letter [PDF]. “These clauses prevent many of our country’s most vulnerable individuals from seeking justice in a court of law, and instead funnel all types of legal claims, no matter how egregious, into a privatized dispute resolution system that is often biased toward the nursing home. As a result, victims and their families are frequently denied any accountability for clear instances of wrongdoing.”

The letter includes the story of a nursing home resident in Alabama whose family accused the home of failing to properly supervise their mother’s medication. Toxicology reports showed that the resident, who’d had dementia, had more than 20 times the recommended dosage of her diabetes medication in her system when she died. The family tried to hold the nursing home accountable, but the case never saw a day in court because the facility was able to force it into arbitration.

The senators also point out that, because arbitration is often confidential and the results of hearings are not part of the public record, LTC facilities may be getting away with widespread Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

“The current CMS proposal, issued by President Trump’s administration, to roll back this critical protection once again places residents’ health and safety at significant risk, and leaves potential residents and their families in the dark about facilities’ past negligence and abuse,” argue the senators. “The current proposal would also override existing state law protections aimed at protecting nursing home residents from the enforcement of one-sided contracts more broadly.”

The letter was led by Sens. Al Franken (MN) and Ron Wyden (OR). Also signing were Richard Blumenthal (CT), Patrick Leahy (VT), Dick Durbin (IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Sherrod Brown (OH), Ed Markey (MA), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Tom Udall (NM), Brian Schatz (HI), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Mazie Hirono (HI), Christopher Coons (DE), Jack Reed (RI), Maggie Hassan (NH), Elizabeth Warren (MA), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Bob Casey (PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), Cory Booker (NJ), Bernie Sanders (VT), Kamala Harris (CA), Chris Van Hollen (MD), Tim Kaine (VA), Patty Murray (WA), Robert Menendez (NM), Tammy Duckworth (IL), Jeff Merkley (OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), and Gary Peters (MI).


by Chris Morran via Consumerist

A Day Of Delays Strands United Passengers At Hawaii Airport For Nearly 24 Hours

It’s one thing to be trapped in paradise, it’s another to be trapped in paradise’s airport. Yet, that’s what some United Airlines passengers say happened over the weekend when their flight from Maui to Chicago was delayed for more than 24 hours and the airline’s furnished hotel had only a dozen or so rooms open. 

KHON2 reports that the end of a tropical vacation quickly turned sour for passengers on United flight 348 as they endured nearly 10 delays with little explanation from the airline.

A Day Of Delays

The flight, which was supposed to depart at 4 p.m. Saturday, was preparing to board when the gate agents unexpectedly closed the door, noting that there was an unspecified issue.

Passengers say that more delays followed, with the airline providing different reasons for the postponements. Eventually, they were told the flight wouldn’t leave until the following day.

Some customers tried to rebook on another flight. But KHON reports those passengers were told they would have to pay out-of-pocket for the new trip, as their original flight hadn’t been canceled.

“People are frustrated, just sitting here and waiting and just no answers,” one traveler said.

Few Accommodations

United offered the stranded flyers hotel and food vouchers, but many passengers said that was more like an empty promise. To that end, one passenger claims that the designated hotel only had 14 rooms available.

Another woman says she ended up renting a car and driving around looking for open rooms, to no avail. In the end, many of the passengers simply slept at the airport, KHON reports.

On Sunday, the flight was delayed once again. It finally departed around 2:30 p.m., nearly 24 hours after it was scheduled to takeoff.

A rep for United tells KHON that the flight had experienced a mechanical delay.

“Safety is always our top priority, and we understand this was a significant frustration for our customers,” the airline said. “We have apologized for the inconvenience and will be providing compensation to those impacted by this delay, and can confirm the aircraft has departed for Chicago.”


by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

Elite Screens CineTension B Series - Unboxing & Installation


Learn how to safely unbox and install your new CineTension B Series tab-tension, motorized projection screen from Elite Screens. Shop the CineTension B Series: http://ift.tt/2ver2cd Follow us on social media: Facebook: http://ift.tt/2pwdQzB Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/elitescreens Instagram: http://ift.tt/2rNkYZB
by EliteScreensInc via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

Elite Screens CineTension B Tab-Tensioned, Motorized Projection Screen


The CineTension B Series of motorized, drop-down projection screens features tab-tensioning providing a truly wrinkle-free projection surface for your HD, UltraHD/4K and even 8K projector. Enjoy a truly reference grade theater experience in your home with the CineTension B Series projection screen. Shop the CineTension B Series: http://ift.tt/2ver3wN Follow us on social media: Facebook: http://ift.tt/2pwdQzB Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/elitescreens Instagram: http://ift.tt/2rNkYZB
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8 ways to turn Android into a productivity powerhouse


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Garmin Dash Cam: Discreet Eyewitness to Your Drive


Protect your driving reputation and capture and share the fun from your road trips with the extremely small and discreet Garmin Dash Cam 45, 55, and extra-wide angle 65W. Learn more at Garmin.com/dashcam
by Garmin via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

Garmin VIRB 360: Paragliding in the Paznaun Valley, Austria


No matter how high you fly or where you go, the VIRB 360 makes it easy to be fully immersed as you relive every adventure. Stabilise video output from high adrenaline footage or capture the breath taking view above the highest mountains in 5.7K resolution. Control the 360 camera with one touch on the device, on VIRB Edit, or even with voice control. If it’s worth remembering, it’s worth a VIRB 360. Find out more about the VIRB 360 here: Garmin.com/VIRB
by Garmin via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

Garmin VIRB 360: Flowtrail Mountainbike Riding in Ischgl, Austria


No matter which trail you explore on your bike, and whatever the weather conditions, the waterproof VIRB 360 makes it easy to be fully immersed as you relive every adventure. Stabilise video output from high adrenaline footage or capture the breath taking view from the highest mountains in 5.7K resolution. Control the 360 camera with one touch on the device, on VIRB Edit, or even with voice control. If it’s worth remembering, it’s worth a VIRB 360. Find out more about the VIRB 360 here: Garmin.com/VIRB
by Garmin via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

Garmin VIRB 360: Washougal MX Moto with Pro Jeremy Martin


Get an adrenaline rush as you ride along with professional Motocross rider, Jeremy Martin, at Washougal MX in this year's 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season. Shot, Edited, Stabilized, Augmented and Uploaded all with Garmin VIRB 360 and Garmin’s free editing tool, VIRB Edit. For the best viewing experience, we recommend you watch 360 videos in the YouTube app on a mobile device or tablet. To view interactive 360 YouTube videos on a desktop, you’ll need Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge. If it’s worth remembering, it’s worth a VIRB 360. Find out more about the VIRB 360 here: Garmin.com/VIRB *Stabilization only available for videos stitched in camera • 360-DEGREE, 5.7K/30fps Don’t miss a thing. • 4K SPHERICAL STABILIZATION Take a shaky, hard-to-follow video, and turn it into a smooth and stable masterpiece in 1 click. Regardless of camera movement, the 3 modes of 4K spherical stabilization ensure a smooth video. Stabilize mode smooths quick movements and vibrations without overriding camera orientation. • 360-DEGREE SPATIAL AUDIO Change your listening perspective, change your experience. • IN-CAMERA STITCHING AT 4K/30fps Ready to share instantly. • G-METRIX™ DATA OVERLAYS Prove how fast, high, and far you went. Augmented reality overlays require mobile or desktop VIRB App before sharing. • CONTROL WITH ONE TOUCH Or use voice control. Voice control available for English (U.S., U.K.) French, Italian, German, Spanish, Swedish, Japanese, and Mandarin
by Garmin via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

Garmin VIRB 360: Washougal MX Moto with Pro RJ Hampshire


Get an adrenaline rush as you ride along with professional Motocross rider, RJ Hampshire, at Washougal MX in this year's 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season. Shot, Edited, Stabilized, Augmented and Uploaded all with Garmin VIRB 360 and Garmin’s free editing tool, VIRB Edit. For the best viewing experience, we recommend you watch 360 videos in the YouTube app on a mobile device or tablet. To view interactive 360 YouTube videos on a desktop, you’ll need Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge. If it’s worth remembering, it’s worth a VIRB 360. Find out more about the VIRB 360 here: Garmin.com/VIRB *Stabilization only available for videos stitched in camera • 360-DEGREE, 5.7K/30fps Don’t miss a thing. • 4K SPHERICAL STABILIZATION Take a shaky, hard-to-follow video, and turn it into a smooth and stable masterpiece in 1 click. Regardless of camera movement, the 3 modes of 4K spherical stabilization ensure a smooth video. Stabilize mode smooths quick movements and vibrations without overriding camera orientation. • 360-DEGREE SPATIAL AUDIO Change your listening perspective, change your experience. • IN-CAMERA STITCHING AT 4K/30fps Ready to share instantly. • G-METRIX™ DATA OVERLAYS Prove how fast, high, and far you went. Augmented reality overlays require mobile or desktop VIRB App before sharing. • CONTROL WITH ONE TOUCH Or use voice control. Voice control available for English (U.S., U.K.) French, Italian, German, Spanish, Swedish, Japanese, and Mandarin
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Google heavily discounts Pixel phones


Today's major stories include Google cutting prices of its flagship phone and Travis Kalanick might be looking into his old job at Uber. Subscribe to CNET: http://cnet.co/2heRhep Check out our playlists: http://cnet.co/2g8kcf4 Like us on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1930vfU Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cnet Follow us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2icCYYm Add us on Snapchat: http://cnet.co/2h4uoK3
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Garmin VIRB 360: Washougal MX Moto with Pro Ronnie Stewart


Get an adrenaline rush as you ride along with professional Motocross rider, Ronnie Stewart, at Washougal MX in this year's 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season. Shot, Edited, Stabilized, Augmented and Uploaded all with Garmin VIRB 360 and Garmin’s free editing tool, VIRB Edit. For the best viewing experience, we recommend you watch 360 videos in the YouTube app on a mobile device or tablet. To view interactive 360 YouTube videos on a desktop, you’ll need Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge. If it’s worth remembering, it’s worth a VIRB 360. Find out more about the VIRB 360 here: Garmin.com/VIRB *Stabilization only available for videos stitched in camera • 360-DEGREE, 5.7K/30fps Don’t miss a thing. • 4K SPHERICAL STABILIZATION Take a shaky, hard-to-follow video, and turn it into a smooth and stable masterpiece in 1 click. Regardless of camera movement, the 3 modes of 4K spherical stabilization ensure a smooth video. Stabilize mode smooths quick movements and vibrations without overriding camera orientation. • 360-DEGREE SPATIAL AUDIO Change your listening perspective, change your experience. • IN-CAMERA STITCHING AT 4K/30fps Ready to share instantly. • G-METRIX™ DATA OVERLAYS Prove how fast, high, and far you went. Augmented reality overlays require mobile or desktop VIRB App before sharing. • CONTROL WITH ONE TOUCH Or use voice control. Voice control available for English (U.S., U.K.) French, Italian, German, Spanish, Swedish, Japanese, and Mandarin
by Garmin via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

Canon: Perfect Moments (Short)


Being at the right place at the time means nothing without the right camera. Be prepared and own the moment with the Canon EOS Rebel T7i. See the full story: http://Canon.us/x32z
by CanonUSA via Endless Supplies .De - Brands