Theranos faces lawsuit from a major investor
When Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes announced that the company was shifting its focus, she said her team is lucky to have investors who believe in its mission. But there’s at least one major investor who doesn’t, and it has already sued the controversial blood-testing provider. According to The Wall Street Journal, Partner Fund Management (PFM) LP is accusing the startup of convincing it to pour $100 million into the startup by feeding it a “series of lies.” The San Francisco-based hedge fund firm filed the lawsuit in Delaware today and sent out a letter to its own investors.
In the letter, the firm said:
“Through a series of lies, material misstatements, and omissions, the defendants (Theranos), engaged in securities fraud and other violations by fraudulently inducing PFM to invest and maintain its investment in the company.”
It went on to say that Holmes and former COO Sunny Balwani deceived PFM by claiming that their proprietary technologies were close to getting regulatory approval. PFM was reportedly told that Theranos’ proprietary machine called Edison was capable of performing more types of tests than it actually was. The fund also accuses Holmes and co. of overstating their capabilities to meet the Walgreens’ demands. Walgreens, if you’ll recall, used to offer Theranos blood tests in its drugstores. Thus, the fund has formally filed a case against the startup for engaging in securities fraud, negligent misrepresentation and violations of the Delaware deceptive trade practices act.
A company spokesperson told the WSJ that it will fight the lawsuit:
“[T]he suit is without merit and Theranos will fight it vigorously. The company is very appreciative of its strong investor base that understands and continues to support the company¹s mission.”
Theranos has been in hot water ever since the FDA investigated claims that put its practices into question and the WSJ published its outcome. While the company promised results with just a drop of blood, the WSJ found reports showing that it only did a handful of tests on Edison — the rest were done on traditional machines. Since then, Balwani left the company, Walgreens ended their partnership and Holmes was banned from running a lab for two years. Holmes also shut down its clinics and Wellness Centers in early October, letting 340 employees go in the process. The company still isn’t completely dead, though. It recently debuted a new proprietary device called miniLab and now plans to focus on its development.
As for Partner Fund Management, it’s now seeking to recoup its $100 million investment with damages on top.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Nature documentary ‘Planet Earth II’ looks absolutely stunning
For people who love showing off their high-end A/V gear, documentaries from BBC Earth are about as good as it gets for infinitely rewatchable reference material. But the clock ticks ever forward and some of those older releases don’t look quite as good anymore thanks to screen sizes getting dramatically bigger and pixel counts higher. But now we have our first glimpse at the shot-in-4K Planet Earth II by way of a trailer from BBC One.
As you might expect, it looks great, even with YouTube’s compression and a max resolution of 1080p. Judging by the minute of footage embedded above, this installment will cover everything from gila monsters, a giraffe being taken down by a lioness and swimming sloths (!!!).
There isn’t anything else by way of details, sadly, so we’re left guessing exactly what BBC’s definition of “soon” is in terms of an air date. Same goes for word if the series will broadcast (or stream) in UHD. What we do know, however, is that the inimitable Sir David Attenborough will lend his dulcet tones for narration — as nature intended. Given the timing, chances are we could have an Ultra HD Blu-ray version of this before even seeing a glimpse of Netflix’s Our Planet, which is scheduled to release in 2019.
[Thanks Anthony!]
Source: BBC (YouTube)
New Snapchat Update Replaces Auto Advance With Story Playlists
Snapchat tonight has been updated with a new way for users to interact with other people’s stories, removing Auto Advance and replacing it with Story Playlists. Currently, when a user finishes watching another user’s story, the app automatically begins the next person’s story.
On its blog, Snap acknowledges that Auto Advance “made it impossible to individually choose which story to watch.” Sometimes, Snap says, users only want to watch stories from a select few friends or families. Now when users watch a singular story it will not automatically advance to the next story. To create a Story Playlist users can click on the thumbnail of a stories to queue them into a playlist that will autoplay.
Additionally, Snapchat has been updated to “put friends first.” Snap has moved publisher content from news organizations from the top of the app to the bottom, below the updates of friends, family and celebrities a user may follow.
Snapchat is available for free in the App Store. [Direct Link]
Tag: Snapchat
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Get notified when e-book prices drop – CNET
Eager to read Amy Schumer’s autobiography, “The Girl with the Lower-Back Tattoo”? Or Stephen King’s latest, “End of Watch”? How about the new Rick Riordan title for your mythology-obsessed teenager?
They’re all available for Kindle, of course, but they’re all $14.99 apiece. I’m not saying they’re not worth it, merely that you might prefer to wait for a sale. Because, yes, e-books do go on sale — the challenge is finding out when that happens.
Savvy Amazon shoppers know about price-tracking service CamelCamelCamel, which can alert you when prices drop. Sadly, it doesn’t support Kindle titles. For that you need a different service: eReaderIQ. It not only catalogs Kindle books that are free and on sale, but also lets you create alerts for tracking specific books.
Rick Broida/CNET
Before I explain how to set one up, let me first note that although eReaderIQ is free, it relies on donations. If you find the service valuable — meaning it routinely saves you money on book purchases — consider supporting it with a percentage of those savings. The developer previously relied on Amazon’s referral program, but that’s no longer working out. This is a little guy trying to make a buck while helping readers save many bucks. Support him!
Step 1: Head to eReaderIQ and sign up for an account.
Step 2: Click Track Books, then Track Price Drops.
Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET
More price-tracking tools
- Find out when an expensive apps go on sale
- Find out when VR game prices drop
- Get notified when the Amazon Echo goes on sale
Step 3:
Choose one of the four available tracking options. For example, if you already have the Amazon book listing open in another tab, copy that URL and then click the Add by URL option. And if you’ve already added some titles to your Amazon wish list, use eReaderIQ’s import tool to start tracking them.
Step 4: Click the Track It button for the selected book, then modify the “drops by” price if you like. For example, if you don’t want an alert unless the price drops at least $2, enter that amount in place of the default $0.01.
The site also offers some integration tools, including bookmarklets (1-Click Watcher) for quickly adding any Kindle title to your watch list and a Chrome extension that also lets you check price histories and watch non-Kindle books so you can get notified if they become available.
For anyone who loves Kindle books and is serious about saving money, eReaderIQ is an invaluable tool.
LG DLEX 9000V Dryer review – CNET
The Good The LG DLEX 9000V dryer has a striking, attractive design, swift performance and a huge 9 cubic foot capacity. The dryer’s front-mounted controls are simple to use and offer many specialty modes and steam cycles.
The Bad The price is sky-high even for a well-appointed luxury laundry appliance. The companion mobile app has a confusing, cluttered layout. It’s hard to close the door with force.
The Bottom Line Sleek, powerful and fast, it’s tough to beat the big LG DLEX 9000V dryer’s mix of features, capacity and performance — but its hefty price makes the machine’s few flaws hard to ignore.
Close your eyes and picture the pinnacle of domestic clothes drying. What you’ve imagined might very well be the $1,800 LG DLEX 9000V. Crafted in smooth curves and glossy surfaces, this dryer certainly looks luxurious, but, more importantly, it’s big enough to handle large laundry loads with ease and powerful enough to process them quickly.
Still, the ultra-expensive DLEX 9000V isn’t flawless. Despite its opulent price tag, the door feels flimsy, and the companion app and smart-home functions feel too complex to be truly useful. Forgive those flaws, though, and you’ll be rewarded with excellent performance and features galore. That, along with the high style, makes this a compelling high-end appliance, especially for large families. If you’re willing to consider a top-load style dryer without connected smarts, however, you can save a bundle by choosing the $1,100 Kenmore 69133 — it’s a close match that costs a lot less.
LG’s big, deluxe dryer has plenty of power…
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Design and features
Essentially a larger version of the LG DLEX 5000, the DLEX 9000V benefits from all of its smaller sibling’s design strengths and a few of its weaknesses as well. Specifically, the DLEX 9000V dryer flaunts the same handsome chassis (available in white or “graphite steel” finishes) that’s made mainly from painted steel and chrome. Most of the dryer’s front face consists of a smoothly curved door, which sports a window of darkly tinted glass.
LG’s DLEX 9000V dryer is sleek and attractive.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Behind the glass sits the dryer’s huge 9-cubic-foot capacity stainless steel drum. This over-sized container offers much more room for clothing and bulky items than the 7.4 cubic foot capacity DLEX 5000. The obvious trade-off is a bigger physical footprint (40.9 inches tall, 29 inches wide, 33.4 inches deep).
Still, a front-mounted control panel helps to mask the dryer’s girth, since it lives on the dryer’s door and doesn’t add undue height to the machine the way a top-mounted panel would. The panel’s black plastic material also blends seamlessly into the door’s dark glass window.
The main control is a big cycle dial.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
At the center of this 4.5-inch tall strip is the dryer’s main control, a cycle dial that spins and clicks gently both clockwise and counterclockwise. White LED lights ring the knob and glow to highlight precisely which dryer cycle it has selected. Overall, the machine’s controls are very intuitive and a cinch to operate. One annoyance, though: The door itself feels too lightweight and flimsy, and doesn’t slam shut comfortably. Employing any elbow grease to close it actually causes it to rebound back at you.
Just like the DLEX 5000, the 9000V offers 14 cycle programs to choose from. They range from basics such as “Normal,” “Heavy Duty” and “Perm. Press” to advanced cycles for “Jumbo Dry” or “Bedding.” There’s even a “Downloaded” setting for activating special programs you’ve pulled from LG’s servers in the cloud and installed yourself.
A front-mounted panel has buttons that activate with a light touch.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
LG also sells pedestal accessories for the DLEX 9000V, in matching white ($300) and graphite steel ($330). These add-ons offer extra laundry storage, and also raise the dryer door so it’s easier to reach.
Internet-connected smarts
Thanks to its internal Wi-Fi radio, the DLEX 9000V can link to the LG Smart Laundry app on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. Open it, and you’ll be able to monitor the dryer’s status and see how much time remains in an active cycle.
It’s similar to what we’ve seen from competing smart appliances from GE, but LG’s system is more ambitious. The GE Laundry software limits you to viewing current dryer status while LG’s app lets you begin new cycles right from your phone or tablet.
Pedego 26-inch Classic City Commuter review – CNET
The Good Having both pedal assist and a twist throttle lets you fine-tune the electric boost for lazy days or more of a workout.
The Bad It’s heavy and expensive, with handling better suited for beach boardwalks than urban bike lanes.
The Bottom Line The City Commuter is powerful and fun enough to get you to leave your car in the garage.
You have to take the right perspective to appreciate the Pedego City Commuter, one of a crop of electric bikes transforming the cycling industry.
If you’re a traditional cyclist, proud to cover miles of roads and trails while staying fit, you might view the hulking, $2,595-and-up 57-pound machine as one big cheat. (It’s not available in the UK or Australia, but the US price translates to about £2,100 and AU$3,400, respectively.) I’m one of those traditional cyclists, so I get it. But honestly, you should instead see the Pedego e-bike as a liberating alternative to a vastly heavier, bulkier and more polluting gasoline-powered car.
I tried the Classic model of the City Commuter with 26-inch-wheels for a couple weeks, riding it through hilly Bay Area suburbs and busy San Francisco streets. I looked forward to the ride every time. My wife rode it six miles to work, too. Her words on returning home the first time: “Oh my God! This is incredible.”
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The Pedego City Commuter packs its taillight-equipped battery on a built-in rear rack. You can remove the battery or charge it in place. Batteries are available in 36- and 48-volt options with 10- or 15-Amp-hour capacities.
Stephen Shankland/CNET
If you’ve never ridden an electric bike, prepare yourself for a foolish grin as the surge of power amplifies your own abilities. The extra oomph is very persuasive if you’re trying to talk yourself into getting on a bike instead of driving into work. You may still be put off by rain, snow and car traffic, but with an e-bike, there’s no need to show up at work sweaty.
That said, the Pedego City Commuter — adapted from the company’s more cruiser-style machines — isn’t perfect for commuting. Its weight, bulk and super-stable handling means difficulties when lifting it onto a train or slaloming past double-parked cars. If you’re happy commuting on a skinny-tired sprinter’s delight, look elsewhere. (Pedego also has a folding model, the Latch.)
2016 Subaru Crosstrek review – Roadshow
The Good With 8.7 inches of ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive, the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek shows reasonable off-road capability, its comfortable ride making it a good all-round driver. Subaru’s EyeSight system gives it excellent adaptive cruise control and collision prevention.
The Bad The Crosstrek’s continuously variable transmission gives it bandy acceleration. In our testing, EPA fuel economy was not attainable.
The Bottom Line The 2016 Subaru Crosstrek may measure on the smaller side for an SUV, but it exhibits all the driving capability of its bigger siblings, both on and off-road. Cabin electronics may not be the latest and greatest, but active safety technologies count for a lot.
At the wheel of the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek on a Northern California backroad, I saw many, many cars bearing the Pleiades-laden Subaru badge on their grilles. It felt a bit like being in a club, not very exclusive but distinct nonetheless.
The typical Subaru driver ostensibly enjoys the beauty of nature, making time for hiking, mountain biking and kayaking. The stereotype suggests coexisting with the environment, not dominating it.
The Crosstrek, a more recent entrant to the Subaru lineup, maintains this ethos, bolstering the ground occupied by the Outback and Forester. Although sporting SUV style, the Crosstrek’s size makes it feel more like a wagon. Dropping 7 inches in overall length and 4 inches in height compared to Subaru’s next model up, the Forester, the Crosstrek shows off an approachable, urban footprint and a sporty look.
The doors open wide, allowing easy cabin accessibility, but I wasn’t crazy about the leather, or leather-like, material covering the seats in the Limited trim version I drove. At 22.3 cubic feet with the rear seats up, the Crosstrek’s cargo area comes in at about 10 cubic feet less than that of the Forester.
The Crosstrek combines a sporty look with high ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive.
Wayne Cunningham/Roadshow
Earlier this year, I drove the Crosstrek on a short off-road course, a dirt track with intentional mud puddles and ruts. Although the Subaru representative in the passenger seat advised me to steer around the worst of it, I was impressed with what the little Crosstrek could handle.
Thank its 8.7 inches of ground clearance, the same as its bigger SUV siblings, for letting me sink a tire into a mud pit and then escape. The Crosstrek’s standard all-wheel drive helped the wheels find the grip they needed to keep me going. And although I had to make a couple of tries getting up a slick hill, I eventually got to the top.
Compact Subaru Crosstrek a back country-capable…
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That Crosstrek, and the one I drove for this review, came with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) mated to the 2-liter engine. With the CVT, Subaru uses a different all-wheel drive system compared to Crosstreks equipped with the available five-speed manual transmission. CVT models get an electronically managed system, which actively moves torque between front and rear axles based on traction and throttle input. Manual versions use a mechanical system that only responds to wheel slip.
With either all-wheel drive system, Subaru doesn’t let you lock the differential for a 50:50 torque split, although setting the Vehicle Dynamics Control switch in its off position helps equalize torque distribution.
The Crosstrek uses Subaru’s horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine, a “flat four”, which presents a lower center of gravity than an inline four. In this application, it makes 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque, and turns in EPA-estimated fuel economy of 26 mpg city and 34 mpg highway.
Although the power numbers don’t look terribly impressive, the CVT and throttle tuning made the Crosstrek eager to take off from a start.
Although the power numbers don’t look terribly impressive, the CVT and throttle tuning made the Crosstrek eager to take off from a start. In city driving, its acceleration is more than ample. The CVT exhibits some of the qualities that give this type of transmission a bad name. The engine note doesn’t always coincide with acceleration, and power delivery feels bandy at times.
In my driving, the EPA numbers seemed overly optimistic, as I barely made the city number on the highway, while actual city driving put my average in the low 20s. Your mileage may vary, but I didn’t feel like I was being aggressive on the throttle.
The steering isn’t particularly sharp, but then again, it shouldn’t be for this type of vehicle. The slightly slow response from the wheel perfectly suits a comfortable highway cruise. That comfortable theme runs through to the ride quality as well, with the suspension nicely damping out bumps and rough pavement. I could see taking the Crosstrek for an extended road trip.
Another boon for road trippers comes with the EyeSight advanced safety system, which Subaru now makes available on Crosstreks in Premium or Limited trim. Two forward-facing cameras watch the road ahead, warning me if I’m about to plow into stopped traffic or drift over a lane line. EyeSight also enables adaptive cruise control, which automatically slows the Crosstrek below its set speed when approaching traffic ahead. Having used EyeSight’s cruise control extensively, I’m impressed with this system.
Apple suspends developer account over ‘review fraud’
Review fraud is a hot topic of late. Both Amazon and Steam are dealing with it in their own ways, and now Apple is jumping into the fray with the creator of the dev-tool, Dash. Apple removed the application from the App Store last week, later telling Bogdan Popsecu that his account was being suspended due to suspicion of review manipulation. Popsecu’s side of the story is such: Around four years ago he paid for a relative’s Apple Developer Program Membership with his credit card and gave her some test hardware to work with.
“From then on, those accounts were linked in the eyes of Apple,” Popsecu writes. “Once that account was involved with review manipulation, my account was closed.” Popsecu says that he wasn’t given any advance warning of the shutdown and assumed that certain features of his iTunes Connect account being disabled (account showing it was closed and apps being pulled from the digital storefront) was part of migrating from an individual account to a company one.
That wasn’t the case. Apple told Popsecu (he recorded his last phone call with an Apple representative) that to get his account reinstated, he’d have to pen a blog post admitting “some wrongdoing.”
“I told them I can’t do that because I did nothing wrong,” Popsecu says. “On Saturday they told me that they are fine with me writing the truth about what happened, and that if I did that, my account would be restored.
“Saturday night I sent a blog post draft to Apple and have since waited for their approval. Tonight, Apple decided to accuse me of manipulating the App Store in public via a spokesperson.”
Apple’s statement to iMore is as follows:
“Almost 1,000 fraudulent reviews were detected across two accounts and 25 apps for this developer so we removed their apps and accounts from the App Store. Warning was given in advance of the termination and attempts were made to resolve the issue with the developer but they were unsuccessful.
We will terminate developer accounts for ratings and review fraud, including actions designed to hurt other developers. This is a responsibility that we take very seriously, on behalf of all of our customers and developers.”
In the recorded phone call, Popsecu says that he was never contacted and the Apple spokesperson confirmed that the company had contacted the other person (presumably Popsecu’s relative) about the incident instead because, from Apple’s perspective, the two accounts were the same entity.
The phone call posted in the post does not match Apple’s press announcement at all. https://t.co/HaCM6jrvAB
— Spooky Streza (@SteveStreza) October 10, 2016
Popsecu says he’s never engaged in review fraud — giving his own app high ratings and leaving negative ones for competitors — and that “Apple’s decision is final and can’t be repealed.”
“We want to work with you, but we want to make it clear that we didn’t make a mistake, right?” the spokesperson asks on the call. “We were correct when we did our investigation and we had uncovered that your account was linked to an account with fraudulent activity. And when we say ‘linked,’ we mean that test devices, credit card that was used to enroll the accounts.”
It paints Popsecu into a corner, because while he says he didn’t do any of the nefarious deeds himself, he’s still being punished by Apple’s draconian viewpoint. For now, Popsecu says that he’ll continue supporting the desktop version of Dash and that if you want to keep using it you should migrate your license immediately.
“I don’t know if/when things will go back to normal,” he says.
We’ve reached out to Apple for a comment and will update this post should more information arrive.
Via: The Loop
Source: Kapeli (1), (2)
Facebook Workplace: How does it work, what does it cost, and when can you use it?
Facebook has officially launched its Slack competitor: Facebook Workplace.
This offering is part social network, part messenger, and part productivity tool for teams. Your Workplace account is only visible to people in your team/company and is separate from your personal account.
Here’s everything you need to know about it, including when you can start using it and how much it costs.
What is Facebook Workplace?
Workplace is a mobile and web app that aims to keep your team members connected. The service, which used to be called Facebook Work, offers features like Facebook Groups, Facebook Messenger, built-in audio and video calling, and access to the social network’s profiles, Events, and Live video tools.
Facebook’s employees have been internally using a version of Workplace for years. Facebook has also let other companies test Workplace in beta form since at least 2015. Workplace already caters to big clients, including Starbucks, the 100,000-employee Royal Bank Of Scotland, and Booking.com.
What does Facebook Workplace feature?
Facebook said Workplace includes the best of Facebook, such as News Feed, the ability to create and share in Groups, features like Live, Reactions, Search, and Trending posts, and chat so you can communicate with colleagues in real time. There’s even something called Multi-Company Groups, which allows employees from different organizations can work together.
Larger organisations will appreciate that Workplace includes a dashboard with analytics and integrations with single sign-on, in addition to identity providers that allow companies to integrate Workplace with their existing IT systems.
Facebook Workplace’s website offers a promo video of the service.
How does Facebook Workplace work?
Sign-in
If your company is using Workplace, you can set up your account by clicking the link in the email you’ve received.
To sign in, visit [YourCompanyName].facebook.com from your computer, or download the iPhone or Android app to access your account.
Groups
Workplace lets you make groups, which can be open to any member of your team or just a few. In a group, you can make a new post to get a discussion started, or you can add a photo, video, or document to get input from the rest of the team. You can also respond and react to other members’ posts in a group.
News Feed
News Feed gathers conversations from all your groups, so you’ll never miss an update or company announcement. Like the original Facebook News Feed, it’s tailored to you so you’ll see relevant and trending posts.
Following
You can also follow co-workers to get their updates in your News Feed. On their profiles, you’ll see information like who they are and how to get in touch, including sending a message with Workchat.
Chat
Workchat in Workplace connects you instantly with any co-worker. You can do one-to-one conversations or loop in more people. Not only can you message, but you can also share files and make video calls with your team.
Events
You can use Workplace to plan a company event (announce when and where it is happening, see who is coming, etc).
Search
Workplace lets you search for names or phrases, and then it serves up results all across your company. You can find co-workers profiles or specific things mentioned in posts. Aside from the universal search bar at the top, just like you’d see in the original Facebook, Workplace lets you search in groups and chats for specific things.
Notifications
Again, just like the original Facebook, Workplace will notify you when you have new messages or replies on posts. You can get them delivered via email, the desktop site, and through the Workplace mobile app.
Where can you use Facebook Workplace?
You can sign in through the desktop website [YourCompanyName].facebook.com (ex: company.facebook.com) from your computer. You can also sign in through Workplace’s free iPhone or Android app to access your account.
When will Facebook Workplace be available?
Workplace is now available to teams, companies, non-profits, and educational institutions of any size.
How much does Facebook Workplace cost?
New companies can get a free three-month trial period for signing up. After that, Facebook Workplace has a tiered pricing structure that costs $3 a month per user for companies with less than 1,000 active users (or $1 per month for companies with over 10,000 users). For non-profits and Educational Institutions, Workplace is completely free. See details of pricing here.
Also, Facebook Workplace is advert-free.
How do you set up Facebook Workplace?
Visit workplace.fb.com, and then click the “apply” button to begin setting up Workplace for your team as an admin. Workplace’s Help hub has more information and FAQ.
Want to know more?
You can check out Facebook’s blog post for more details.
AIVAnet 