Tag Archives: Reclaim

23andMe Founders Seek to Reclaim Control of Bankrupt DNA Testing Company

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The previous CEO of 23andMe is poised to reclaim leadership of the genetic testing firm after placing a $305 million bid from the nonprofit organization.

Recently, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced a deal to purchase the company for $256 million, surpassing a $146 million offer from Anne Wojcicki and the nonprofit TTAM Research Institute. A former executive noted that this substantial offer prompted Wojcicki to elevate her bid with backing from the Fortune 500 entity. The deal is anticipated to finalize in the upcoming weeks, pending a court hearing scheduled for June 17, as stated by the company on Friday.

Wojcicki had made several attempts while CEO to retain the company as private. Each attempt was met with rejection from the board, and ultimately all independent directors resigned in response to her acquisition efforts.

As a leader in ancestral DNA testing, 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March and aimed to auction its business following a 2023 data breach that compromised sensitive genetic and personal information of millions of users.

Since its bankruptcy announcement, 23andMe has seen a significant loss of clients, with a concerning trend of users wanting their accounts closed. The company, which analyzes complete genomes with unknown parties showing interest, reported that approximately 15% of its current customers are requesting account terminations in light of the bankruptcy and potential sale. Experts recommend that customers ask firms to delete their DNA data to safeguard privacy. On Friday, TTAM endorsed 23andMe’s existing privacy policy, asserting compliance with all relevant data protection regulations. Earlier this week, New York and over 20 other U.S. states filed a lawsuit against 23andMe to contest the sale of personal data from its clients.

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Regeneron expressed enthusiasm for the new bid, but acknowledged that if Wojcicki’s offer were ultimately accepted, it would incur a $10 million termination fee.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Reclaim Your Rest and Settle Your Sleep Debt

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Paul Brigginshaw/Millennium Images, UK

What's the difference between time spent in bed and bank balance? No, this isn't the start of a terrible joke – and the answer isn't as simple as you think.

We all have the odd occasion where we stay up too late and don't get enough sleep. Think of it like splurging on an expensive dinner. I probably shouldn't, but I hope it doesn't hurt my bank balance too much.

This article is part of a special series exploring important questions about sleep. Click here for details.

However, not getting enough sleep on a regular basis is a problem for many people, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports: One-third of adults spend less than 7 hours a night – Sleep debt can accumulate and have serious implications for your physical and mental health (see Why your chronotype is key to knowing how much sleep you need). Just like paying off a financial debt, getting your sleep back requires a plan.

Part of the problem is that we may not realize how much sleep debt we have and how negatively it is affecting us. in one studyFor example, participants were randomly selected to work 4, 6, or 8 hours per night for 14 consecutive days. Ultimately, those who slept less than six hours showed cognitive impairments equivalent to up to two full nights of no sleep. However, even though they felt unwell after a few days, from then on, those who underwent sleep restriction did not necessarily realize that their cognitive performance continued to decline. “A tired brain cannot recognize how tired it is.” Russell Foster,a…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Microsoft Surpasses Apple to Reclaim Title of Most Valuable Company after Two Years

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Microsoft's stock closed above Apple's for the first time since 2021 on Friday, making it the world's most valuable company, as demand concerns hit the iPhone maker's stock price.

On Friday, Apple rose 0.2% and Microsoft rose 1%. This brings Microsoft's market capitalization to $2.887 trillion, an all-time high, according to LSEG data. Apple's market capitalization, calculated based on Thursday's filing data, was $2.875 trillion.

Concerns about smartphone demand have pushed Apple stock down 3% so far in 2024 after rising 48% last year. Microsoft is up about 3% since the beginning of the year after soaring 57% in 2023 on a bull run driven in part by its lead in generative artificial intelligence through its investment in ChatGPT maker OpenAI.

According to LSEG, Apple's market capitalization peaked at $3.081 trillion on December 14th.

Microsoft is incorporating OpenAI's technology into its suite of productivity software, which helped fuel a recovery in its cloud computing business in the July-September quarter. His AI leadership at the company has also created an opportunity to challenge Google's dominance in web search.

Meanwhile, Apple is grappling with sluggish demand, including for its cash cow iPhone. Demand in China, a major market, is sluggish as the Chinese economy has been slow to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and a revived Huawei is eating away at market share.

Sales of Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset will begin in the US on February 2nd, marking Apple's biggest product launch since the iPhone in 2007. However, UBS estimated in a report this week that Vision Pro sales are “relatively insignificant” to Apple. Earnings per share in 2024.

Since 2018, Microsoft briefly overtook Apple as the most valuable company, and most recently in 2021, when concerns about pandemic-related supply chain shortages affected the iPhone maker's stock price.

In its latest quarterly report in November, Apple gave a holiday quarter sales forecast that was lower than Wall Street's expectations due to weak demand for iPads and wearables.

Analysts on average expect Apple's December quarter sales to rise 0.7% to $117.9 billion, according to LSEG. As a result, sales will increase year-on-year for the first time in four quarters. Apple announced its financial results on February 1st.

Analysts expect Microsoft to report a 16% increase in revenue to $61.1 billion in the coming weeks due to continued growth in its cloud business.

Source: www.theguardian.com