Former FDA adviser wants LASIK eye surgery banned | BGR

November 19, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

LASIK is one of the most popular kinds of eye procedures around. Once prohibitively expensive, laser eye surgery is now cheaper than ever, and patients often experience very little downtime afterward. Lots and lots of people love their results, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t complications, sometimes severe complications, in certain cases.

Now, a former adviser who worked with the Food and Drug Administration and voted to approve LASIK as a medical procedure, says that the FDA is ignoring data that suggests LASIK should be banned. As CBS News reports, Morris Waxler has regrets about his prior approval of LASIK, and wants the medical community to reevaluate the risks.

Dean Foods, America’s largest milk producer, files for bankruptcy | CNN

November 13, 2019November 12, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Dean Foods, America’s largest milk producer, is filing for bankruptcy. The 94-year-old company has struggled in recent years because Americans are drinking less cows milk. 2019 has been particularly brutal: the company’s sales tumbled 7% in the first half of the year, and profit fell 14%. Dean Foods (DF) stock has lost 80% this year.

The company, which produces some of the country’s most recognizable milk and dairy products, including Dairy Pure, Organic Valley and Land O’Lakes milks, has blamed its struggles on the “accelerated decline in the conventional white milk category.”

More women lawmakers flee politics due to online abuse | Fast Company

November 8, 2019November 6, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Last week, U.S. Congresswoman Katie Hill’s resignation speech detailed the abuse that drove her out of office. “I am leaving because of the thousands of vile threatening emails, calls and texts that made me fear for my life and the lives of the people that I care about.” She feared the “hundreds more photos and text messages that they would release bit by bit until they broke me down to nothing.”

This week, abuse is behind the decisions of many of the 18 female members of U.K. Parliament to not run for re-election, reports the New York Times.

IRS Announces Higher 2020 Retirement Plan Contribution Limits For 401(k)s And More | Forbes

November 8, 2019November 6, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How much can you save for retirement in 2020? The Treasury Department has announced inflation-adjusted figures for retirement account savings for 2020: 401(k) contribution limits are up; traditional IRA contribution limits stay the same; almost all the other numbers are up.

The amount you can contribute to your 401(k) or similar workplace retirement plan goes up from $19,000 in 2019 to $19,500 in 2020. The 401(k) catch-up contribution limit—if you’re 50 or older in 2020—will be $6,500 for workplace plans, up from $6,000. But the amount you can contribute to an Individual Retirement Account stays the same for 2020: $6,000, with a $1,000 catch-up limit if you’re 50 or older.

Providing and Paying for Healthcare Major Challenge for Small Business | Small Business Trends

November 7, 2019November 6, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Small Business Healthcare Statistics

Some 79% of small and midsize business owners say health insurance costs risk eating up their profitability. The healthcare industry is experiencing the biggest impact, while retail, professional and financial services report the least concern. Health insurance is a top-two expense, next to payroll that businesses generally don’t have a lot of control over.

Can Decentralization Solve Businesses’ Trust Problems? | Business

November 6, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As the internet has evolved, so have problems in general. In recent years, we’ve woken up to the fact that our personal data is one of the most valuable assets in the world right now. It’s also increasingly apparent that we don’t control that data.

Edward Snowden may be a controversial figure, but he was among the first to expose the stark reality of this problem back in 2014. When we discovered that the NSA had been using Google data to spy on citizens in the name of national security, it seemed like it could be a watershed moment.

The Oral-B Genius X is an AI-Powered Toothbrush With a High Price Tag | Digital Trends

November 5, 2019November 4, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Brushing your teeth is one of the most important things you do every day. There’s nothing like cleaning the gunk off your teeth after a long night of particularly deep sleep, but studies indicate that many people don’t use proper technique when it comes to brushing. If you don’t brush long enough or skimp on certain areas, it can cause serious problems down the line. Oral-B’s new Geniux X electric toothbrush can help combat negligent oral hygiene with the help of onboard A.I.

It sounds complicated, but its operation is simple. The toothbrush connects to your phone via Bluetooth and activates a timer when you start brushing. It reminds you when to change positions and suggests where you should brush next. An array of sensors warn you if you’re using too much pressure and then awards an overall rating for how well you brushed.

McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook fired after dating employee | BBC News

November 4, 2019November 3, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

McDonald’s has fired its chief executive Steve Easterbrook after he had a relationship with an employee.

The US fast food giant said it had been consensual, but Mr Easterbrook had “violated company policy” and shown “poor judgement”.

In an email to staff, the British businessman acknowledged the relationship and said it was a mistake.

Daily Crunch: Twitter is banning political ads | TechCrunch

November 1, 2019October 31, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

1. Jack Dorsey says Twitter will ban all political ads

Arguing that “internet political ads present entirely new challenges to civic discourse,” CEO Jack Dorsey announced that Twitter will be banning all political advertising — albeit with “a few exceptions” like voter registration. Not only is this a decisive move by Twitter, but it also could increase pressure on Facebook to follow suit, or at least take steps in this direction.

Facebook Bringing Portal Video Chat Devices To Workplaces | Getentrepreneurial.com

October 31, 2019October 30, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Facebook is bringing its Portal devices to the workplace for people to make voice and video calls. Workplace by Facebook delivered a number of upgrades as part of its Flow by Workplace conference being held today in Menlo Park, including the fact that Workplace now has 3 million paid users, up from 2 million in February. The 8-inch Portal Mini and 10-inch redesigned Portal smart displaycome out next week. Portal devices will be able to speak with up to 50 participants in each video call, a company spokesperson told VentureBeat in an email.

As the split screen image above appears to illustrate, Workplace video calls will supply a shared work space, perhaps drawing on the same tech that will allow people to watch videos together with the Portal TV device due out next month. At launch, Workplace voice and video calls will not work with Portal TV.