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Tag Archives: simplify
FDA wants to simplify the use and updating of Covid-19 vaccines
CNN
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The US Food and Drug Administration wants to simplify the Covid-19 vaccine process to look more like what happens with the flu vaccine, according to documents posted online on Monday. That could include streamlining the vaccine composition, immunization schedules and periodic updates of Covid-19 vaccines.
The FDA said it expects to assess circulating strains of the virus that causes Covid-19 at least annually and decide in June which strains to select for the fall season, much like the process to update annual flu vaccines.
Moving forward, the agency said, most people may need only one dose of the latest Covid-19 shot to restore protection, regardless of how many shots they have already received. Two doses may be needed for people who are very young and haven’t been exposed, or for the elderly or immune-compromised, according to the FDA’s briefing document for its vaccine advisers.
The agency is urging a shift toward only one vaccine composition, rather than a combination of monovalent vaccines, which are currently used for primary shots and target only one strain, and bivalent vaccines, which are currently used for booster doses and target more than one strain.
“This simplification of vaccine composition should reduce complexity, decrease vaccine administration errors due to the complexity of the number of different vial presentations, and potentially increase vaccine compliance by allowing clearer communication,” the FDA said.
The FDA’s plan was first reported by National Public Radio.
The agency’s independent vaccine advisers, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, are scheduled to meet on Thursday to discuss the future of Covid-19 vaccine regimens, and will be asked to vote on whether they recommend parts of FDA’s plan.
Porsche 911 Carrera T first drive: Simplify, then add the right options
Enlarge / Lighter and less powerful, the 911 T benefits from some desirable options that aren’t available on other 911s.
Tim Stevens
Getting bigger and heavier as you age is something that many of us can relate to. Even the sportiest of cars is not immune to this unfortunate expansion. The Porsche 911 weighed just 2,400 lbs (1,089 kg) when new in the early 1960s and was only 165 inches (4,191 mm) long. Since then, it has grown by over a foot (300 mm) and has packed on over 800 pounds (363 kg).
Mind you, the 911 is still a stellar car, sublime really, but that expanded girth has changed the Carrera from a proper sports car to something that sits on the sporty side of a comfortable touring machine. Now, though, with the return of the Carrera T, the 911 is going back to its roots—again. After spending a lovely evening carving canyons in California, I’m happy to say that the result is remarkable.
Enlarge / As 911s go, this one is aimed squarely at driving enthusiasts.
Tim Stevens
The T in Carrera T actually stands for “touring,” but that’s a bit of a misnomer. Here it’s a designation for a lighter-weight, edgier, more engaging flavor of Carrera. The first Carrera T premiered way back in 1968, a simpler 911 that most famously conquered the Monte Carlo Rally at the hands of Vic Elford.
After 1973, that model was retired and was resurrected in 2017 for the then-current 991.2. Since then, Porsche has slapped a T onto the 718 Cayman, 718 Boxster, and even the Macan, always signifying something a bit pared back and performance-forward.
What did Porsche do to craft the new 911 Carrera T? Well, it starts with a base Carrera, with rear-wheel-drive, 379 hp (283 kW), and 331 lb-ft of torque coming from a 3.0 L, twin-turbocharged flat-six engine. That’s well less than the 443 ponies (330 kW) the Carrera S offers and far below the GTS’s 473 (352 kW), but trust me when I say it’s more than enough. More on that in a moment.
Enlarge / Porsche’s bucket seats can be hard to get in and out of, but once you’re in they’re wonderful. There’s no back seat in this version, though.
Tim Stevens
Porsche then paired that with a seven-speed manual transmission, augmented by a subtle short-shift kit, though an eight-speed PDK transmission is available as a no-cost option if you’d rather not row your own. Porsche’s torque-vectoring, limited-slip rear differential is available if you opt for that transmission, and regardless of pedal count you can optionally outfit a rear-steering system.
Interestingly, those two options aren’t available on the base Carrera. That alone makes the T an enticing choice, but the exclusivity doesn’t stop there. Porsche also outfitted lightweight glass and a slinkier battery, whittled out some of the sound-deadening material, and even deleted the rear seat. The net result is a 911 with many desirable performance options priced at $116,600. That’s $10,500 more than a base Carrera but 100 pounds (45 kg) lighter.
Mind you, it still weighs 3,254 lbs (1,472 kg). Not exactly Spyder territory, but that reduced weight, plus the 10 mm-lower adaptive suspension and all the other sporty options, result in a Carrera that sounds and feels significantly different from the base machine. And, with gray staggered wheels—20 inches at the front and 21 at the rear—plus some subtle graphics on the door, it looks the part, too.
Enlarge / The door graphics let other Porschephiles know you’re in something interesting.
Tim Stevens
I honestly didn’t know what to expect as I drove through LA traffic on my way to the Angeles Crest outside Pasadena. As I cruised down the highway, other than a little more road noise and a little extra squeeze from the sublime Full Bucket Seats (a $5,900 option), it all felt pretty much like any other Carrera. In other words: no real compromises.
Off the highway, as the road began to climb and double back on itself, my perspective changed. The Carrera T really came alive. A quick spin of the mode selector on the steering wheel brought me into Sport Plus and, with the sport exhaust open and the throttle sharpened, I began to appreciate just how good this car was.
The T sliced through to every apex, rear-steering not only angling the rear wheels but bending the rules of physics that govern our lives. That shortened shifter reinforced that feeling. Shifts are abbreviated and firm, over before your arm has fully committed to the motion. Grabbing the next gear was such a joy that I hopped between ratios far more often than was strictly necessary.
Enlarge / Less power plus manual transmission equals winning 911.
Tim Stevens
And what about the 3.0 L flat-six engine that drove it all? It’s plenty. Sure, various other versions of 911 offer far more power, but this 911 isn’t about outright thrust. The Carrera T is about the experience. Just like a manual transmission boosts engagement at the cost of outright speed compared to a PDK, more power doesn’t necessarily make a car more fun.
In my book, the Carrera T is the one to buy. At least, it is if you want to really maintain the taste of what the 911 was originally meant to be. Sure, Porsche’s iconic coupe has grown a lot since 1964, but the pure feel of the Carrera T shows that its roots are still firmly planted.
Microsoft might finally simplify its Windows 11 update names
Microsoft could be preparing to name its next big OS update as the “Windows 11 2022 Update.” References to this naming have appeared in near-final versions of the next big Windows 11 release, currently named 22H2. Twitter user XenoPanther spotted the Windows 11 2022 Update naming in the Get Started app that appears when you setup a new PC.
The naming could simply be a placeholder, or it could indicate Microsoft is finally simplifying its often confusing update names for Windows. We’ve seen a variety of names over the years, including the Creators Update naming for a big Windows 10 update, more mundane naming like the Windows 10 May 2021 Update, and more recently the Windows 10 21H2 moniker.
Microsoft had considered naming its updates after animals or people, but transitioned to the more safe monthly naming instead of point releases like Apple does with iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and many other software updates. A move to just the yearly naming for Windows 11 updates would make sense if Microsoft is planning less big drops of features.
A recent report suggested Microsoft has scrapped plans for a “23H2” annual update for Windows 11 in 2023, moving to prioritize rolling out new features throughout the year instead. Microsoft has changed its Windows Insider program recently, adding more experiments and prototype features that are tested far in advance. These changes could lead to Microsoft moving back to a three-year release cycle for Windows, with a new major version (Windows 12?) due in 2024.
I would still prefer to see Microsoft move to Windows 11.1 or 11.2 with its major updates. It’s easier to determine what the latest update is, and to understand if your PC or laptop is up to date or you’re waiting on Microsoft or your OEM to approve the latest bits.
Either way, Microsoft’s next big Windows 11 update is due on September 20th, a week after the company’s regular Patch Tuesday fixes. Windows 11 22H2 — or could it be Windows 11 2022 Update — will include a number of new improvements like app folders in the Start menu, drag and drop on the taskbar, and new touch gestures and animations.
PayPal, Venmo and CashApp simplify cryptocurrency for beginners
Simple crypto-buying features on familiar payment apps could attract more people to the world of cryptocurrency, analysts say.
Getty Images
If you find cryptocurrency intimidating, payment apps want to help. Venmo, PayPal and Cash App have added cryptocurrency purchasing to their popular payment services, expanding the reach of Bitcoin, Ether and other digital money to investors who may be daunted by jargony exchanges and a multitude of digital wallets. That convenience, however, comes at a cost that can eat away at returns.
Payment apps are popular because they make it simple for people to shop online using their phones or split checks with friends. The apps are also meant to be fun, with some featuring emojis and digital stickers decorating transaction notes. The services are so widespread that even President Joe Biden reportedly uses Venmo to send gifts to his grandchildren.
The apps also bring familiarity to buying cryptocurrency, a process that can present a psychological hurdle for some potential investors because exchanges require separate accounts and often have complex registration and transaction processes. The payment apps also remove the need to understand digital wallets, a subfield of crypto that can quickly become its own research topic.
The convenience of buying cryptocurrency on payment apps, however, comes with trade-offs. Venmo, PayPal and Cash App lock you into a transaction fee that might be cheaper if you comparison-shopped at more than one exchange. And unlike exchanges, which let you move crypto, PayPal and Venmo hang on to it unless you want to sell it through the same app.
Despite their limitations, the availability of cryptocurrency on payment apps may help the public get comfortable with financial assets that’ve been cloaked in esoteric math and that are popularly associated with illegal online activities. (A new Bitcoin-linked ETF that started trading last month will also help expand acceptance of digital money, analysts say.)
“It’s a great training wheels experience,” said David Siemer, CEO of Wave Financial, an asset management firm that focuses on cryptocurrency.
Venmo and its parent PayPal, which was co-founded by crypto enthusiast Elon Musk, offer Bitcoin, Ether and other forms of cryptocurrency. Cash App, owned by Square, supports only Bitcoin, the biggest and most widely known cryptocurrency. (Square is run by Jack Dorsey, another cryptocurrency promoter and the chief executive of Twitter.)
PayPal and Square, both publicly traded companies, didn’t provide comment for this story because they were about to release their quarterly earnings reports, which legally bars them from talking to the media.
Cryptocurrency has expanded in popularity over the last decade. Ten years ago, when Bitcoin — the original cryptocurrency — traded at about $15, digital coins were widely seen as the currency of online drug purchases. Now Bitcoin is trading at around $63,000. On Monday, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers announced he would take a portion of his salary in Bitcoin through Cash App. The currency is accepted as payment by AT&T and the Dallas Mavericks, and you can also purchase Amazon, Delta and DoorDash gift cards with Bitcoin. Facebook is trying to launch a cryptocurrency, Diem, along with a consortium of partners. El Salvador embraced Bitcoin as a national currency, though its adoption has been bumpy.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are now widely available at trading websites and through stock trading apps like Robinhood. ATMs handling cryptocurrency have popped up around the world, though they tend to charge hefty fees. Coinstar machines, which let customers turn spare change into gift cards at retailers like Walmart, can also dispense Bitcoin through a partnership with Coinme. Debit cards backed by cryptocurrency are available through companies including Coinbase and BitPay.
Despite the growing acceptance, cryptocurrency services in payment apps are best thought of as introductory investment platforms, analysts say, where beginners can buy crypto and get accustomed to its volatility. Serious investors, however, will likely find them limited compared with dedicated cryptocurrency exchanges, which also allow balances to be loaned to generate returns.
Exchanges like BlockFi or Celsius, or peer-to-peer lending systems, like LendaBit and BtcPop, let cryptocurrency investors lend their holdings to the exchange or other users for a fee. The practice isn’t without its risks; crypto lending raises unanswered regulatory questions, and the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating a small number of exchanges. You can also compare rates between different exchanges and use them to trade one kind of cryptocurrency for another.
Still, Square has seen mounting user interest since it introduced features for buying and selling Bitcoin on Cash App in 2018. The company, known primarily for helping merchants process card payments, earned $97 million from Cash App fees on Bitcoin sales in 2020. It’s already brought in nearly $130 million in the first half of 2021. PayPal doesn’t break out how much of its revenue comes from transaction fees on cryptocurrency sales from its own app or from its subsidiary, Venmo.
Buying Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency offerings on PayPal means you’ve let the company store your cryptocurrency. The same applies to Venmo. Cash App offers more services, allowing people to send and receive Bitcoin or put it in their own wallets, but it charges a fee if users want to withdraw their coins immediately. Withdrawal will be tempting for people who want to start buying and selling the cryptocurrency on other exchanges, which they can’t do from the payment app.
Athan Slotkin, an entrepreneur and business consultant, thinks the features are great if they attract new investors to cryptocurrency. But he added that most people won’t really learn much about crypto if they stay on one app. The best way to learn is by finding forums and online communities on Twitter and Discord, and trying out some small transactions on exchanges.
“You kind of just have to go down the rabbit hole yourself,” Slotkin said.
Giving people simpler tools for buying and selling cryptocurrency has the potential to drive interest in Bitcoin, Ether and the like, analysts say. If the features encourage a significant number of new cryptocurrency buyers, the increased demand could drive up crypto’s value. With little data on how many transactions are taking place on these apps, though, it’s unclear whether that’s happening.
To really interest users in cryptocurrency, payment apps will need to introduce wallets and exchanges, analysts say. A streamlined system for buying, selling, storing and lending cryptocurrency could interest more people and keep them using the services instead of looking elsewhere for flexibility, says Corey Barrett, an analyst with M Science.
“It would unlock a portion of the cryptocurrency investor base who were never interested until they had that functionality,” Barrett said.