iPhone 13 Diary: Quick Cinematic Video tests excite me

I’ve so far only done a handful of quick Cinematic Video tests on my iPhone 13 Pro Max following my earlier macro photography tests. While the results haven’t been perfect, they have certainly been good enough to show the potential of the technology.

In particular, the ability to adjust the focus points in editing makes it an extremely powerful tool. Honestly, for manual mode in particular, I’m excited…

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Source: Tech Crunch

Take a look inside your iPhone 13 Pro with these X-ray and teardown wallpapers from iFixit

After completing teardown of the new iPhone 13 lineup, iFixit has now shared some neat teardown and X-ray wallpapers that offer a look inside Apple’s latest flagship. These are fun wallpapers that make it seem like your iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max is see-through…

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Merck’s COVID-19 pill cuts risk of death, hospitalization by 50%: study

Merck’s COVID-19


Merck’s experimental oral drug for COVID-19, molnupiravir, reduced by around 50% the chance of hospitalization or death for patients at risk of severe disease, according to interim clinical trial results announced on Friday.

Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics plan to seek U.S. emergency use authorization for the pill as soon as possible, and to submit applications to regulatory agencies worldwide. Due to the positive results, the Phase 3 trial is being stopped early at the recommendation of outside monitors.

“This is going to change the dialog around how to manage COVID-19,” Robert Davis, Merck’s chief executive officer, told Reuters.

If authorized, molnupiravir, which is designed to introduce errors into the genetic code of the virus, would be the first oral antiviral medication for COVID-19.

Rivals including Pfizer Inc and Swiss pharmaceutical Roche Holding AG are racing to develop an easy-to-administer antiviral pill for COVID-19 but so far, only antibody cocktails – which have to be given intravenously – are approved for treating non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

A planned interim analysis of 775 patients in Merck’s study found that 7.3% of those given molnupiravir were either hospitalized or had died by 29 days after treatment, compared with 14.1% of placebo patients. There were no deaths in the molnupiravir group, but there were eight deaths of placebo patients.

“Antiviral treatments that can be taken at home to keep people with COVID-19 out of the hospital are critically needed,” Wendy Holman, Ridgeback’s CEO, said in a statement.

In the trial, which enrolled patients around the world, molnupiravir was taken every 12 hours for five days.

The study enrolled patients with laboratory-confirmed mild-to-moderate COVID-19, who had symptoms for no more than five days. All patients had at least one risk factor associated with poor disease outcome, such as obesity or older age.

Merck said viral sequencing done so far shows molnupiravir is effective against all variants of the coronavirus, including highly transmissible Delta.

The company said rates of adverse events were similar for both molnupiravir and placebo patients, but did not give details of the side effects.

Merck has said data shows molnupiravir is not capable of inducing genetic changes in human cells, but men enrolled in its trials have to abstain from heterosexual intercourse or agree to use contraception. Women of child-bearing age cannot be pregnant and also have to use birth control.

Merck said it expects to produce 10 million courses of the treatment by the end of 2021, with more doses coming next year.

The company has a U.S. government contract to supply 1.7 million courses of molnupiravir at a price of $700 per course.

CEO Davis said Merck has similar agreements with other governments worldwide, and is in talks with more. The company said it plans to implement a tiered pricing approach based on country income criteria.

Merck has also agreed to license the drug to several India-based generic drugmakers, which would be able to supply the treatment to low- and middle-income countries.

Molnupiravir is also being studied in a Phase 3 trial for preventing coronavirus infection in people exposed to the virus.

Merck officials said it is unclear how long the FDA review of the drug will take.

“I believe that they are going to try to work with alacrity on this,” said Dean Li, head of Merck’s research labs.

Source: Tech Crunch

Pad & Quill unveils new discreet American leather AirTag keychain case at 15% off

Pad & Quill just unveiled its new leather AirTag case known as The Jimmy. Back in April of this year, the Apple accessory brand unleashed its first AirTags accessories with the Mighty Leather Keychain variant, but Pad & Quill is back again today with another handcrafted carrier for your Apple item trackers. Best of all, this is 9to5Toys, so we a have nice discount code to knock 15% off the brand new leather AirTag case. Head below for all of the details. 

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Expo 2020 Dubai launches official visitor app and business app

Expo Dubai

Expo 2020 Dubai has launched its official visitor app and a business-focused app, helping to ensure that millions of visitors can make the most of the 182 visually striking and emotionally inspiring days of Expo from October 1.

The official Expo 2020 app allows users to tailor their visit to Expo, matching individual interests to create a personal schedule of events and attractions, across a site twice the size of Monaco.

Visitors can use the app to buy tickets, choose from more than 200 dining options and themed culinary events, and manage reservations for Expo 2020’s intelligent Smart Queue system – offering guests the ability to reserve a convenient time slot to visit a pavilion of their choice, and avoid queues.

Developed in collaboration with Accenture, the Official Digital Services Partner of Expo 2020, the app – available to download via the App Store or Google Play – allows visitors to create an Expo 2020 account or link their social media account, as well as access a GPS-enabled interactive map of the Expo site and step-by-step directions to points of interest across Expo.

A chatbot on the app will provide information on making visits to Expo 2020 safe and enjoyable, including details on opening times, parking options and how to reach Expo using Dubai’s extensive public transport options.

 

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Mohammed Alhashmi, Chief Technology Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Hosting the world in one place for six months, Expo 2020 offers visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore new frontiers and join in a celebration of creativity, innovation, human progress and culture. Whether you’re interested in boarding our Garden in the Sky observation tower 55 metres above the ground; partying at Expo Beats, our monthly music festival featuring a global cast; or experiencing the spectacular Expo Water Feature, the Expo 2020 app has everything on offer at your fingertips.”

Gerado Canta, Senior Managing Director and Executive Sponsor for Accenture’s partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Accenture, in partnership with Etisalat Digital, helped to develop the event’s visitor-facing digital channels, including the official Expo 2020 app, virtual assistant and website, enabling Expo 2020 to bring its story to millions worldwide. The mobile app is a window for visitors worldwide to learn about Expo 2020 and plan their visits via curated journeys to ensure an accessible and relevant experience for all.”

Separately, the Expo 2020 Business App matches users with similar interests and objectives among the business community, with the objective of facilitating meaningful business to business (B2B), business to government (B2G) and government to government (G2G) interactions across geographies and industries.

Powered by artificial intelligence and available for mobile and desktop, it suggests potential matches for users based on their profiles, expertise, goals and interaction patterns – ensuring every business visitor can meet their business objectives.

Available via WebApp, App Store and Google Play, the Expo 2020 Business App allows users to create their own unique profile, highlighting key information and contact details, while selecting filters and researching potential match partners. Once a connection is made, users can start engaging, chatting and scheduling meetings with other users, businesses and entities of interest to establish relationships during and beyond Expo, which closes its doors on 31 March 2022.

While free to download, a small registration fee applies to access the app’s premium features, such as networking, connecting, chatting and scheduling meetings. Holders of the Premium Experience can enjoy complimentary access to the premium features of the Expo 2020 Business App, alongside a host of additional services.

In addition to these two main apps, fitness enthusiasts visiting Expo 2020 can use the Glofox App – available via App Store and Google Play – to keep track of their wellbeing and make the most of all the sport and health-related activities available at Expo 2020. The Expo 2020 Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub is hosting an eclectic mix for all ages and physical abilities, and Glofox helps users view timetables and services, book classes and engage with other members and instructors. When downloading the Glofox App, search for ‘Expo 2020: Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub’ before signing in and registering for sessions.

From 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 will bring together more than 200 participants, including 192 countries, plus millions of visitors, to collaborate on ways to protect the planet for our communities and future generations, inviting them to join the making of a new world.

Source: Tech Crunch

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shows 74% efficacy in large US trial

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated 74% efficacy at preventing symptomatic disease, a figure that increased to 83.5% in people aged 65 and older, according to long-awaited results of the company’s US clinical trial published on Wednesday.

Overall efficacy of 74% was lower than the interim 79% figure reported by the British drugmaker in March, a result AstraZeneca revised days later to 76% after a rare public rebuke from health officials that the figure was based on “outdated information.”

The data looked at more than 26,000 volunteers in the United States, Chile and Peru, who received two doses of the vaccine spaced about a month apart. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

There were no cases of severe or critical symptomatic COVID-19 among the more than 17,600 participants who got the vaccine, compared with 8 such cases among the 8,500 volunteers who got the placebo. There were also two deaths in the placebo group but none among those who received the vaccine.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” Dr. Anna Durbin, a vaccine researcher at Johns Hopkins University and one of the study’s investigators, said of the overall result. “It was also highly protective against severe disease and hospitalization,” she said.

There were no cases of a rare but serious blood clotting side effect called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia that has been linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine developed with Oxford University researchers.

AstraZeneca said in late July it planned to file for full approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, rather than seek emergency use authorization. Chief Executive Pascal Soriot told a media briefing at the time he hoped the vaccine could still play a role in the United States, even though the process was taking longer than expected.

The company is exploring booster doses for people whohave already been vaccinated with two doses of either its ownshot or mRNA-based vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna.

The vaccine, known as Vaxzevria, is authorized for use in more than 170 countries. A spokesperson said the company expects to file for U.S. approval later this year.

Durbin said she does not expect Vaxzevria to be used much in the United States, but securing FDA approval “does give them gravitas.”

Source: Tech Crunch

Upgrading to iPhone 13: Here’s what you get over your old phone

While there are those of us who end up buying a new iPhone every year, most people upgrading to the iPhone 13 will be doing so from a phone that is older than the iPhone 12.

Apple does have a comparison feature on its website allowing you to manually compare features, but Jason Snell has done the work for you, showing what you’ll get when you upgrade from any model from the iPhone 7 up …

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Apple now lets you share how much you love or hate built-in apps via App Store reviews

For the longest time, the App Store did not allow users to rate or review Apple’s built-in iPhone and iPad apps, like Mail, Music, News, Stocks and Calculator. However, seemingly since the release of iOS 15 earlier this month, Apple has now lifted that restriction. It is now open season for App Store feedback on Apple’s stock apps.

As you might expect, customer feedback is already flooding in for Apple’s apps, with the Podcasts app currently faring the worst statistically with a 2.0 rating …

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