Why You May Not Have to Finish All Your Antibiotics | Live Science

July 27, 2017July 27, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you have ever taken an antibiotic, you likely know the drill: Finish the entire course of treatment, even if you are feeling better, or else you risk a relapse.

Worse, by not finishing, you might contribute to the dangerous rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The advice to always finish your antibiotics has long been considered medical dogma, and can be seen today on the websites of the World Health Organization, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other leading health authorities.

How Video Platforms and Brands Are Courting the Next Generation of Internet Stars | Adweek

July 25, 2017July 25, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As an up-and-coming actress-comedian, Laura Clery spent more than a year doing “free work,” posting on Facebook every day without fail, building an audience for her sketches, characters and video blogging.

Those days are over, as Clery is now one of the first digital influencers to take part in Facebook’s new revenue-sharing program, while also in discussions to make original content for the social media behemoth.

With her 3.1 million Facebook followers, dwarfing what she’d amassed on YouTube, Clery is part of the current crop of internet stars that’s set off a talent grab by Facebook, YouTube and other distribution platforms and brands like AT&T and Verizon’s go90.

Chipotle class action suits allege brand misled public, investors about food safety measures | Fast Casual

July 25, 2017July 25, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

One class action suit has been filed, another is awaiting class certification and a third is in the wings, all alleging that Chipotle and its leadership led food safety officials, investors and the public at large to believe its food safety initiatives were adequate when they were not.

The court actions come after a day of crushing, crisis-level news about events striking the chain’s stores in Virginia and Texas that ultimately sent the brand’s stock price into a downward spiral, closing Thursday at $356.05, compared with $390.17 at the close Monday before the most recent events became public.

Turn Off Your Push Notifications. All of Them | WIRED

July 24, 2017July 24, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

PUSH NOTIFICATIONS ARE ruining my life. Yours too, I bet. Download more than a few apps and the notifications become a non-stop, cacophonous waterfall of nonsense. Here’s just part of an afternoon on my phone:

“Hi David! We found new Crown jewels and Bottle caps Pins for you!”

“Everyone’s talking about Bill Nye’s new book, Everything All at Once. Read a free sample.”

“Alex just posted for the first time in a while.”

US opioid abuse ‘linked to jobs market’ says Fed boss | BBC News

July 14, 2017July 14, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Widespread opioid abuse is tied to a fall in the share of Americans working or looking for work, the head of the US central bank said on Thursday.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said she was not sure if it was a cause of the decline or a symptom revealing more longstanding economic problems.

Technological changes and an ageing workforce also contributed, she said.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that prescription drug abuse costs $78.5bn (£61.5bn) annually.

Facebook really can’t decide how much VR should cost | TechCrunch

July 14, 2017July 14, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Down, down, down the price of the Oculus Rift goes.

On the heels of a temporary $200 price cut, today Facebook’s Oculus has announced that the Rift and Touch will be receiving a permanent $100 price cut, bringing the bundled price of the virtual reality system down to $499 once the summer sale it over. The company has also announced that it will now be bundling the two products together in a single package.

Consumers who see VR as too expensive will undoubtedly welcome the news, but to onlookers the move does leave questions about what exactly is happening over at the Facebook-owned virtual reality company.

Trillion-Ton Iceberg Breaks Off Antarctica | Live Science

July 12, 2017July 12, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

One of the largest icebergs ever recorded, packing about a trillion tons of ice or enough to fill up two Lake Eries, has just split off from Antarctica, in a much anticipated, though not celebrated, calving event.

A section of the Larsen C ice shelf with an area of 2,240 square miles (5,800 square kilometers) finally broke away some time between July 10 and today (July 12), scientists with the U.K.-based MIDAS Project, an Antarctic research group, reported today.

Adidas Got Women Artists to Design One-of-a-Kind Sneakers for All 50 States | Adweek

July 11, 2017July 11, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Adidas and Refinery29 get geographical in a fun project for the UltraBOOST X sneaker, getting women artists to design a “BOOST the Nation” collection, featuring one-of-kind sneakers that are being auctioned off for charity.

Refinery29 chose the artists—including Meagan Morrison, Maria “Too Fly” Castillo, Bree Poort, Lizzie Darden, Jenny Kiker, Sophia Chang, Mari Orr, Jen Mussari, Carrie Chan, Jordana Schrager and Refinery29 fashion editor Alyssa Coscarelli. The designs are inspired by state cultures, landscapes and landmarks, and range from subtle (Connecticut) to playfully outlandish (Kentucky).