It’s part of the Human Virome Program, an effort to better understand the many viruses that invade our bodies without making us sick. The researchers plan to collect samples from thousands of volunteers this year to analyze using AI.
The US wants to bring back domestic chipmaking. But the first generation of factory workers never got answers about their kids born with birth defects.
Reuters reports that roughly 20 people in the FDA’s office of neurological and physical medicine devices were let go over the weekend. Including staffers overseeing clinical trial applications from Neuralink, Elon Musk’s company developing a brain-computer interface. The report states the firings also affect the FDA’s ability to ensure safe trials for other companies exploring the tech.
The FDA process can be tedious, but it’s vital to ensuring health tech advances adhere to ethical and safety standards. A pretty important thing when you’re trying to implant chips into a human brain.
The company completed its acquisition of meal-planning software startup Intent and plans to launch personalized meal features to fit users’ dietary needs, make nutrition logging easier, automate grocery lists, and even add ingredients to online store carts.
I tried out the Feno toothbrush: a full-mouth, U-shaped toothbrush. It brushes your entire mouth in 20 seconds as opposed to the typical 2-minute brush time recommended for standard toothbrushes. The Feno toothbrush seemingly did a pretty thorough job of brushing my teeth and was quick and comfortable.
However, I can’t get over its $299.00 price tag and Feno’s optional monthly subscription that grants access to features like AI that tracks your dental health or the ability to message oral health coaches about your brushing.
That includes at least 168 employees at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who worked in its Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. The Trump administration is following a play out of Project 2025, which calls for “eliminating” the office.
Across the federal government, Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are targeting programs and employees that have worked to make initiatives more inclusive of communities of color and other groups that face disproportionate health and environmental risks.
[washingtonpost.com]
I got to try out EssilorLuxottica’s Nuance Audio glasses last month at CES 2025. They look like normal glasses, but can amplify the voice of whoever you’re speaking to while also dampening noisy environments. Plus, since it can handle prescription lenses, it’s sort of like killing two birds with one stone. Now that they’ve got FDA clearance, the glasses are set to launch in the US in Q1 this year and the first half of 2025 in Europe.
Joe Bennett and Steve Hely know their new Adult Swim animated series has its finger on the pulse.
After studying Apple Watch noise data from the past four Super Bowl Sundays, we have quantifiable data showing that people get 1.5 to 3 decibels louder in the three hours before and after the game compared to the following Sunday. And yes, folks in game states are indeed louder than those in non-game states. Are we surprised at these findings? No, but it’s kind of fun to have data to point to.
Android Authority reports that Samsung may be the first to noninvasive blood glucose monitoring in the Galaxy Watch, citing comments from Samsung senior vice president Hon Park saying the tech will be a “game-changer.”
I hate to be a wet blanket but people have been working on this tech since 1975. Here’s a report I did on why this tech is taking so long and why it probably won’t look like what you expect if / when it does arrive.
National Institutes of Health is reportedly reeling from canceled meetings and a communications and hiring freeze under the new Trump administration.
“This kind of disruption could have long ripple effects,” Jane Liebschutz, an opioid addiction researcher at the University of Pittsburgh who posted on Bluesky about canceled study sections, tells ScienceInsider ... She and colleagues are feeling “a lot of uncertainty, fear, and panic,” Liebschutz says.
The company, whose patent infringement claim led Apple to remove blood oxygen sensing tech from newer Apple Watches, has named Katie Szyman, worldwide president of Advanced Patient Monitoring at Becton Dickinson, for the role, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Interim CEO Michelle Brennan, who took over after CEO Joe Kiani resigned, will become the chair of Masimo’s board.
The move is part of the Biden Administration’s initiative to lower prescription drug prices — particularly for medications needed by elderly and disabled citizens. Drug companies will have until February 28th to decide whether they want to negotiate. Ozempic and Wegovy, which are also used to treat diabetes, aren’t the only drugs on the list either. There are 15 total, and you can find the total list here.
[The Washington Post]
The government has ripped out “pointless regulation” that prevented Apple and other companies from including hearing tests and assistance in earbuds. Apple added the feature to its 2nd-gen AirPods Pro last fall, and told The Telegraph it will be enabled for UK users “in the coming weeks.”
The covid pandemic saga of Razer’s RGB-lit Zephyr face mask is probably ending now that checks and PayPal payments are giving money back to the 6,764 buyers.
Last year, the FTC settled with Razer over its misleading statements and “N95-grade” filtering claims made without evidence or testing, leading to refunds and a $100k civil penalty.
I got to try out Eli Health’s Hormometer in person last night. I was fully expecting it to say my stress levels were high but my cortisol levels were apparently within range. Maybe my body is just used to all that CES adrenaline after all these years. In any case, here’s what using an at-home, portable hormone test is like.
I ranked the Circular Ring Slim dead last in my smart ring battle royale. When I heard their CES 2025 announcement, I was cautiously optimistic that a redemption arc was in the making with the Circular Ring 2. Now that I’ve seen and tried it, I’m even more hopeful. The hardware is such an improvement — all that’s left to see is if the software is too when it launches.
I’m here at CES Unveiled trying out Eli Health’s Hormometer. I had to do it twice because this dry desert air makes it hard to generate a lot of spit. Here I am taking the cortisol (stress) test.
Preeeeetty sure my levels are going to be high. I find out in... three minutes.
Sure, booze is fun but it’s also poison. Anyway, the Surgeon General has said alcohol should be labeled for its cancer risk. If you’re sober-curious, join me for a Dry January — a ritual in which I get a month of great sleep.
[The New York Times]
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Smart rings had a resurgence this year. The question is whether the renaissance will continue.
Dexcom’s Stelo continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for those with Type 2 diabetes is starting to use generative AI to write weekly reports with “more personalized tips, recommendations, and education related to diet, exercise, and sleep” than the template previously used.
CNBC:
Stelo’s AI reports don’t give users medical advice, though Dexcom has been using an AI framework from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help guide the feature’s development, [Dexcom COO Jake] Leach said.
Aaron Siri, the lawyer in question, has a long history of challenging vaccines. But as the NYT story explains, this matters not only because polio is a devastating disease that can cause death and paralysis, but because Siri has also been helping RFK Jr. — Trump’s pick for health secretary — vet incoming federal health officials.
[The New York Times]
