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Overall efficacy of 74% was lower than the interim 79% figure reported by the British drugmaker in March, a result AstraZeneca revised days later to 76% after a rare public rebuke from health officials that the figure was based on “outdated information.”

The data looked at more than 26,000 volunteers in the United States, Chile and Peru, who received two doses of the vaccine spaced about a month apart. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

There were no cases of severe or critical symptomatic COVID-19 among the more than 17,600 participants who got the vaccine, compared with 8 such cases among the 8,500 volunteers who got the placebo. There were also two deaths in the placebo group but none among those who received the vaccine.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” Dr. Anna Durbin, a vaccine researcher at Johns Hopkins University and one of the study’s investigators, said of the overall result. “It was also highly protective against severe disease and hospitalization,” she said.

There were no cases of a rare but serious blood clotting side effect called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia that has been linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine developed with Oxford University researchers.

AstraZeneca said in late July it planned to file for full approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, rather than seek emergency use authorization. Chief Executive Pascal Soriot told a media briefing at the time he hoped the vaccine could still play a role in the United States, even though the process was taking longer than expected.

The company is exploring booster doses for people whohave already been vaccinated with two doses of either its ownshot or mRNA-based vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna.

The vaccine, known as Vaxzevria, is authorized for use in more than 170 countries. A spokesperson said the company expects to file for U.S. approval later this year.

Durbin said she does not expect Vaxzevria to be used much in the United States, but securing FDA approval “does give them gravitas.”

Expo 2020 Dubai has launched its official visitor app and a business-focused app, helping to ensure that millions of visitors can make the most of the 182 visually striking and emotionally inspiring days of Expo from October 1.

The official Expo 2020 app allows users to tailor their visit to Expo, matching individual interests to create a personal schedule of events and attractions, across a site twice the size of Monaco.

Visitors can use the app to buy tickets, choose from more than 200 dining options and themed culinary events, and manage reservations for Expo 2020’s intelligent Smart Queue system – offering guests the ability to reserve a convenient time slot to visit a pavilion of their choice, and avoid queues.

Developed in collaboration with Accenture, the Official Digital Services Partner of Expo 2020, the app – available to download via the App Store or Google Play – allows visitors to create an Expo 2020 account or link their social media account, as well as access a GPS-enabled interactive map of the Expo site and step-by-step directions to points of interest across Expo.

A chatbot on the app will provide information on making visits to Expo 2020 safe and enjoyable, including details on opening times, parking options and how to reach Expo using Dubai’s extensive public transport options.

A post shared by Expo 2020 Dubai (@expo2020dubai)

Mohammed Alhashmi, Chief Technology Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Hosting the world in one place for six months, Expo 2020 offers visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore new frontiers and join in a celebration of creativity, innovation, human progress and culture. Whether you’re interested in boarding our Garden in the Sky observation tower 55 metres above the ground; partying at Expo Beats, our monthly music festival featuring a global cast; or experiencing the spectacular Expo Water Feature, the Expo 2020 app has everything on offer at your fingertips.”

Gerado Canta, Senior Managing Director and Executive Sponsor for Accenture’s partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Accenture, in partnership with Etisalat Digital, helped to develop the event’s visitor-facing digital channels, including the official Expo 2020 app, virtual assistant and website, enabling Expo 2020 to bring its story to millions worldwide. The mobile app is a window for visitors worldwide to learn about Expo 2020 and plan their visits via curated journeys to ensure an accessible and relevant experience for all.”

Separately, the Expo 2020 Business App matches users with similar interests and objectives among the business community, with the objective of facilitating meaningful business to business (B2B), business to government (B2G) and government to government (G2G) interactions across geographies and industries.

Powered by artificial intelligence and available for mobile and desktop, it suggests potential matches for users based on their profiles, expertise, goals and interaction patterns – ensuring every business visitor can meet their business objectives.

Available via WebApp, App Store and Google Play, the Expo 2020 Business App allows users to create their own unique profile, highlighting key information and contact details, while selecting filters and researching potential match partners. Once a connection is made, users can start engaging, chatting and scheduling meetings with other users, businesses and entities of interest to establish relationships during and beyond Expo, which closes its doors on 31 March 2022.

While free to download, a small registration fee applies to access the app’s premium features, such as networking, connecting, chatting and scheduling meetings. Holders of the Premium Experience can enjoy complimentary access to the premium features of the Expo 2020 Business App, alongside a host of additional services.

In addition to these two main apps, fitness enthusiasts visiting Expo 2020 can use the Glofox App – available via App Store and Google Play – to keep track of their wellbeing and make the most of all the sport and health-related activities available at Expo 2020. The Expo 2020 Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub is hosting an eclectic mix for all ages and physical abilities, and Glofox helps users view timetables and services, book classes and engage with other members and instructors. When downloading the Glofox App, search for ‘Expo 2020: Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub’ before signing in and registering for sessions.

From 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 will bring together more than 200 participants, including 192 countries, plus millions of visitors, to collaborate on ways to protect the planet for our communities and future generations, inviting them to join the making of a new world.

A new market intelligence report says that 2021 smartphone production is being hit hard by the global chip shortage, and that means growth will be significantly slower than expected.

iPhone production is faring better than other brands, but is still being slowed – with iPhone 13 cameras a particular issue …

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A new antitrust law in South Korea will force both Apple and Google to support app store third-party payment options – and the two companies have now been given to the middle of the month to explain their plans to comply.

This could have wide-ranging implications, as similar pressures are being applied in other countries, and Apple is likely to want to adopt a consistent approach around the globe. Whatever the company proposes in October could reveal its third-party payment plans worldwide …

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Apple has landed yet another big-budget movie package for its Apple TV+ streaming service. Directed and written by Jon Watts, best known for directing the Spider-Man movies, the as-yet-untitled movie will star George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

As reported by Deadline, the film will get a theatrical release before streaming on Apple TV+. The exact price of the package was not disclosed, but it was likely in the hundreds of millions given Apple’s bid faced off against interest from Netflix, Amazon, Sony, Lionsgate and other studios.

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Facebook has attempted to defuse the controversy over its Instagram teen research by releasing two of the reports to the public, annotating them with what it says is important context.

The social network also accuses the WSJ, which obtained copies of the reports, of “mischaracterizing” their conclusions. The paper has not yet directly responded to that accusation, but has instead shared four more reports that Facebook did not make public …

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Security researchers today announced findings surrounding a vulnerability with Visa cards, specifically when a Visa card is set as the default card for Express Transit in Apple Pay on the iPhone (this feature is named Express Travel in the UK).

The demo shared by The Telegraph showed that a hacker could trick the contactless system to perform arbitrary transactions and therefore steal money from a locked iPhone, assuming they have physical possession of the device.

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Apple TV+ offers exclusive Apple original TV shows and movies in 4K HDR quality. You can watch across all of your screens and pick up where you left off on any device. Apple TV+ costs $4.99 per month. Here’s every Apple original television show and movie available now on Apple TV+, as well as the latest trailers …
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WhatsApp has warned millions of iPhone and Android phone users to urgently update their software or else they will be unable to use the popular messaging app.

Operating systems undergo change every year, which means phones running older versions won’t be able to use it.

Around 53 smartphone models will be affected by the new update starting November 1.

Smartphone models having Android 4.0.4 or earlier as well as iPhones with iOS 9 or earlier will become incompatible with WhatsApp.

Following is a complete list of the models that will be affected by the update:

Galaxy Trend II

Galaxy SII

Galaxy S3 mini

Galaxy Xcover 2

Galaxy Core

Galaxy Ace 2

Lucid 2

Optimus F7

Optimus F5

Optimus L3 II Dual

Optimus F5

Optimus L5

Best L5 II

Optimus L5 Dual

Best L3 II

Optimus L7

Optimus L7 II Dual

Best L7 II

Optimus F6, Enact

Optimus L4 II Dual

Optimus F3

Best L4 II

Best L2 II

Optimus Nitro HD

Optimus 4X HD

Optimus F3Q

ZTE V956

Grand X Quad V987

Grand Memo

Xperia Miro

Xperia Neo L

Xperia Arc S

Alcatel

Ascend G740

Ascend Mate

Ascend D Quad XL

Ascend D1 Quad XL

Ascend P1 S

Ascend D2

Archos 53 Platinum

HTC Desire 500

Caterpillar Cat B15

Wiko Cink Five

Wiko Darknight

Lenovo A820

UMi X2

Run F1

THL W8

iPhone SE

iPhone 6S

iPhone 6S Plus

If you have one of these smartphones, you need to get a new device that supports the app if you still wish to use the app.

Jon Stewart is back with a new current affairs series streaming on Apple TV+, named The Problem with Jon Stewart. The show will air every other week, and there’s a companion podcast too. Here’s how to watch the new series …

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NVIDIA on Wednesday announced the next edition of its annual GTC conference, where the company brings together industry professionals to introduce and discuss new technologies. This year, NVIDIA GTC will have Apple’s Senior Director of AI and ML research Samy Bengio as one of the speakers.

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One of the new features of the iPhone 13 Pro is the addition of a new Macro mode for capturing very close-up photos and videos with the camera. While most users have been using the new mode to capture details of nature, Doctor Tommy Korn has discovered that the iPhone 13 Pro’s Macro camera can also be useful for eye treatment.

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Apple Corporate Treasurer Gary Wipfler is now leaving the company, according to sources familiar with the matter. Wipfler, who is 62 years old, worked for Apple for more than 35 years and was responsible for managing the company’s $194 billion in cash.

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Last week Apple released four new iPhone models: the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Like all iPhones that Apple sells these days, with the exception of the iPhone SE, feature “edge to edge” displays, and lack a physical Home button. For these modern devices, you’ll utilize the Volume buttons and Side buttons to facilitate force restarts, invoke recovery mode, enter DFU mode, and more. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the details.

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Apple announced a major upgrade to Siri this year with iOS 15, which is now able to process on-device requests without an internet connection. However, it seems that Apple’s virtual assistant has also lost some functionality, as users have been complaining about Siri no longer being able to send emails or check call history.

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Netflix has bought video game creator Night School Studio and rolled out five mobile gaming titles in select European markets, the company said on Tuesday, as it looks to diversify revenue sources amid intensifying competition in the streaming space.

Night School Studio, the company’s first gaming studio purchase, is best known for its debut game, “Oxenfree”, a supernatural teen thriller with an eerie soundtrack.

The studio’s games, which are available on Sony’s PlayStation, Microsoft’s Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PCs, will be the first non-mobile titles in the streaming giant’s newly created video game portfolio.

“Like our shows and films, these games will all be included as part of your Netflix membership — all with no ads and no in-app purchases,” the company said.

Netflix had mentioned its plans to enter gaming during its last quarterly earnings, as newer players including Disney+ and HBO Max have been rapidly gaining subscribers, intensifying competition in the streaming landscape.

The company earlier in the day said it had introduced “Stranger Things: 1984”, “Stranger Things 3: The Game”, “Card Blast”, “Teeter Up” and “Shooting Hoops” titles on Android to Netflix members in Spain and Italy.

Poland, where the “Stranger Things” titles are already available, will get the other three titles.

“We view gaming as another new content category for us, similar to our expansion into original films, animation and unscripted TV,” the company said in its shareholder letter. “We think the time is right to learn more about how our members value games."

Storage devices are getting smaller and higher-capacity each year, and nothing demonstrates that more than Kingston’s DataTraveler Max line of USB-C flash drives. The drives are available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities, with impressively fast speeds to match, rated at 1,000MB/s read speeds and 900MB/s write speeds. These drives certainly have what it takes on paper, but what about in the real world?

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After tearing down the iPhone 13 Pro last week, the folks at iFixit are back with a teardown of Apple’s redesigned iPad mini. The teardown offers a deep dive into the so-called “jelly scrolling” affecting the iPad mini’s display, comparisons to the iPad Air, and more.

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The post iFixit’s iPad mini teardown goes in-depth on ‘jelly scrolling,’ lack of repairability [Video] appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple today notified developers about a change that will impact apps with renewable subscriptions or other recurring transactions in India. Due to a new directive from the Reserve Bank of India, some in-app transactions made with credit and debit cards may be declined by banks or card issuers.

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Future Moments is today releasing AudioFix 2.0. This update delivers enhanced de-noising, filtering, a fuller, brighter sound design for mobile content creators, and a new macOS app.

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