Google Pixel 10A; FDA Reverses-Will Review Moderna mRNA Flu Vaccine; Google Announces Dates for I/O; Tesla Avoids Suspension in California Over Full Self Driving Claim

Posted: February 18, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Google has dropped the Pixel 10A, their latest budget…or at least mid-priced phone. At $499, the price is still right, but theverge.com reports that it is really only slightly better than the 9A it replaces. The handset still has the same Tensor G4 chip as last year’s model, and just 8 gigs or RAM…which means it won’t have the horsepower to run the latest AI features that are available on the Pixel 10 series. No Magic Cue or Pixel Screenshots. If you are skeptical or just don’t like AI, you really won’t care. One new feature you might well care about is that the phone has SOS satellite communications…so if you are somewhere out of cell range and get into trouble, you can hold that phone up and call for help using the satellite connection. An example was given in an article of being chased by a bear in the woods. Note: any bear can outrun you. If you don’t need all the AI whistles and bells, the 10A is worth a look at under $500.

The FDA has reversed its stunning refusal to review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine. According to arstechnica.com, the reversal was made by political appointee Vinay Prasad, the Trump administration’s top vaccine regulator, who overruled a team of agency scientists and a top career official in rejecting Moderna’s application. Prasad’s ostensible reason for initially refusing to review the application was based not on Moderna’s vaccine, mRNA-1010, but on the established flu vaccine Moderna used for comparison in its Phase 3 trial. Moderna used licensed standard-dose influenza vaccines, including Fluarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline, in the trial, which involved nearly 41,000 adults aged 50 and older. In a letter to Moderna dated February 3, Prasad said this choice “does not reflect the best-available standard of care,” and therefore the trial was not “adequate and well-controlled.” Moderna acknowledged that FDA scientists had previously suggested that the company use a recommended high-dose flu vaccine in trial participants 65 and older. But the agency ultimately signed off on the trial design with the uniform standard dose, calling it “acceptable.” No guarantee that the FDA will approve the vaccine, but at least they are going to review it.

Google has announced the dates for I/O 2026. Theverge.com reports that that it will be May 19th and 20th. In a news release Google says it will share the “latest AI breakthroughs and updates in products across the company, from Gemini to Android and more” during the event, which will take place in-person in Mountain View, California’s Shoreline Amphitheatre, and online.

Tesla has agreed to change language describing their glorified cruise control, and stop using the word ‘Autopilot.’ Techcrunch.com notes that Tesla has stopped using ‘Full Self-Driving Capability.’ Now, they will say Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which is actually pretty accurate. The Autopilot term was contested by the state, and in December, an administrative law judge agreed with the DMV’s request to suspend Tesla’s sales and manufacturing licenses in California for 30 days. That got Tesla’s attention. The state DMV said Tesla now had 60 days to comply. The company agreed, and has dropped the ‘Autopilot’ term in marketing its cars in California. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. 

Social Media Becomes Top News Source; Oakley & Meta Tease New Smart Glasses; Amazon Prime Day(s); New COVID Variant Gaining Ground in US

Posted: June 17, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

In a first, Americans’ top news source is social media, at 54%, overtaking TV, at 50%, and news websites and apps, at 48%. Oxford’s Reuters institute for the Study of Journalism just put out their 2025 Digital News Report, which it has done yearly since 2012. The report surveys around 100,000 people in 48 countries. Besides passing up TV, the report also shows that digital creators reach audiences that traditional media have a lot of trouble reaching….including young men, right-leaning audiences, and folks with low levels of trust in mainstream media outlets. For those of us who are something of dinosaurs…and prize the written word over video, well guess what? The world is moving on. In the US, 60% still prefer to read, but 27% would rather watch now, and 13% gravitate to listening. The latter probably due to folks who are getting news over radio while commuting in their cars. Some other countries have flipped even faster…the Philippines breakdown has 55% preferring watching, with just 31% picking reading, and 14% listening. 

Meta’s Ray-Bans are some pretty cool smart glasses…and really as good as any out there at the moment…but wait…there’s more, to quote the great pitchman Ron Popiel. According to 9to5mac.com, a longtime rumor that Meta has partnered with Oakley is about to come true. A joint product launch is scheduled for this Friday, June 20th. The Oakley smart glasses are aimed more at cyclists and athletes than at the general public. What’s the difference between the Oakleys and Ray-Bans? The Oakley glasses apparently feature a center mounted camera, so will give a more GoPro like video of fast moving events. Meta is doing better than expected with the Ray-Bans. They have shipped 2 million, and plan to scale up to 10 million units a year by the end of 2026. They have also announced smart glasses partnerships with Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, and Kering Eyewear…all running Android XR. In the rear view mirror Meta should be watching Apple…now looking to release AI powered smart glasses by the end of 2026. 

If you are among the many who have chuckled about Amazon Prime Day being bloated to two days…get ready for a really hearty laugh. This summer’s Amazon Prime Day will start Tuesday, July 8th, at 3AM Eastern…AND will also until Friday, July 11th…so a day now lasts 4 days in Amazon World! Theverge.com notes that we can expect to see teases pretty much nonstop between now and July 8th. As usual, Amazon’s own products will be on sale big time, to lure you even deeper into their ecosystem. 

With all the turmoil at the Department of Health and Human Services under Robert Kennedy, Jr, including cutbacks and efforts to minimize COVID vaccination needs, here comes a new variant…NB.1.8.1, picking up steam quickly in the US. Arstechnica.com reports that the variant has already surged in parts of Asia. Experts are concerned for a big summer wave as protection from vaccines or having had COVID is waning, and the new variant…a descendent of omicron…seems to have an infectious advantage over other variants. The brighter side? Thus far, the variant does not appear to cause more severe disease, and current vaccines are expected to remain effective against it. So…go get another jab when you can!

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. 

Apple-‘Break New Ground’ in Generative AI This Year; Cheap Video Doorbells are Easily Hacked; Kara Swisher Book-Lots of Junky Books Posing as Hers; CDC-Over 65’s Should Get Spring COVID Booster

Posted: February 29, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Apple will “break new ground” on generative AI this year. That’s the word from CEO Tim Cook at the Apple annual shareholders meeting. This is the second time in a month Apple has teased big AI news. The announcements are expected at their World Wide Developers Conference in June. Notoriously tight lipped Apple may actually be able to move the needle significantly with AI due to the tight integration between their operating systems and their own software. 

With the Biden Administration taking aim at Chinese EVs over their software that can track the cars and traffic, and nose around in your connected smartphone, here’s yet another cheap thing to be leery of…video doorbells. According to Consumer Reports, some of the cheapies can be hacked, and the camera can be taken over simply by holding down a button. The consumer watchdog put out research that listed 4 security flaws in cams made by EKEN, out of China. They make the EKEN camera, as well as ones branded Tuck, and several others. Walmart and Temu have pulled the cams after the Consumer Reports study came out, but they remain available on Amazon and Sears, among other places. If you are looking at a $30 doorbell cam, it’s probably one of these easily hacked models…steer clear!

There has been a lot of buzz about legendary tech journalist Kara Swisher’s new book that comes out March 1st. The actual book is titled Burn Book: A Tech Love Story. That said, Mashable.com notes that there is a fleet of wannabe books written by AI showing up on Amazon with either similar names, or with her name on them. An example…Kara Swisher: Silicon Valley’s Bulldog (A Biography), but Jane Coelho. The woman pictured on the cover isn’t even Swisher, but has some resemblance to her. There are at least a dozen of these, so if you want to read Kara’s book….and it should be a great one…look for Burn Book!

If you are over 65, you should go in for a Spring COVID Jab. Arstechnica.com reports that an advisory committee for the CDC voted overwhelmingly in favor of recommending the spring booster dose. And late yesterday afternoon, CDC Director Mandy Cohen signed off on the recommendation, allowing boosting to begin. There will also be a 2024-25 booster in the fall for everybody. People over 65 made up 67% of COVID-19 hospitalizations between October 2023 and January 2024, according to CDC data. They advise getting the spring shot before the end of June.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Techinfied’ for now.