Tag Archives: updating

Elon Musk Sends X Dispute to Conservative Texas Court by Updating Terms of Service

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Company X, owned by Elon Musk, has recently updated its terms of service. These changes redirect disputes from users of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter to federal court in Texas. Federal judges in Texas have a reputation for favoring conservative litigants in political cases.

The updated terms state that any legal action against Company X must be filed exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas or the state court in Tarrant County, Texas. This venue clause is a common practice for companies, but it is notable that Company X is located in Bastrop, Texas, which falls under the Western District of Texas.

It is speculated that this choice of venue is related to the political leanings of judges in the Northern District of Texas, which has fewer Republican-appointed judges compared to the Western District. This district is known for conservative activism and has become a preferred destination for lawsuits challenging Joe Biden’s policies, leading some to criticize the tactic as “judge shopping.”

Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown University, suggested that the new language in the terms of service may be connected to Company X’s recent legal strategy. Elon Musk, known as the world’s richest man, has shown support for conservative causes and was a significant financial backer of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

Company X has already filed two lawsuits in the Northern District of Texas, including one against Media Matters for allegedly defaming the platform. Additionally, an antitrust lawsuit has been filed against multiple advertisers for conspiring to boycott and causing revenue loss. These cases are assigned to U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, known for controversial rulings on healthcare and gun control.

Despite concerns over potential conflicts of interest, Judge O’Connor has refused to recuse himself from the cases involving Company X. The federal court in Fort Worth, where the cases are being heard, has only two active judges, with the other judge, Mark Pittman, appointed by President Trump.

Source: www.theguardian.com

FDA advises updating COVID-19 vaccine to target KP.2 variant

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The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday recommended that pharmaceutical companies develop coronavirus vaccines targeting the KP.2 strain, a descendant of the highly contagious JN.1 variant that began spreading widely in the United States this winter. The announcement comes just one week after an FDA advisory committee unanimously recommended updating COVID-19 vaccines in the fall to target the JN.1 variant or its descendants.

After the vote, there was disagreement between committee members and Dr. Peter Marks, the agency’s top vaccine regulator, over which strain the agency should choose. Most committee members expressed a preference for JN.1, but Dr. Marks favored choosing a newer strain like KP.2. “We’re paying an incredibly high premium for the mRNA vaccines to get the freshest vaccine,” Marks said, likening getting the vaccine to buying milk at the store.

The FDA said it had initially advised drugmakers on June 6 to target the JN.1 variant, but the agency continues to monitor circulating strains and “based on the latest available data and recent increases in COVID-19 cases in areas of the country, the FDA has further determined that the JN.1 lineage is preferred for improved vaccines,” with the KP.2 strain preferred “when possible,” the FDA said.

The JN.1 is hardly in circulation in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention As of Saturday, KP.2 accounted for 22.5% of new coronavirus cases in the U.S., while its sister variant, KP.3, accounted for 25% of new cases.

The FDA’s decision allows pharmaceutical companies to begin manufacturing and distributing the vaccine, which is expected to be used as part of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns this fall.

Three pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, are producing coronavirus vaccines. Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines are mRNA-based, while Novavax’s vaccine is protein-based. Because protein-based vaccines take a long time to produce, Novavax has indicated that it will not be able to produce the KP.2 vaccine by the fall. Instead, it plans to distribute the JN.1 vaccine that it has already produced.

This is the third time the vaccine has been updated to target circulating strains. The process of selecting the next vaccine is becoming more routine, similar to the annual influenza vaccination update, with vaccinologists selecting the strains in the spring and then conducting vaccination campaigns in the fall.

At the advisory committee meeting, the pharmaceutical company presented data showing that compared to current vaccines that target the variant XBB.1.5, which is not currently in circulation, the JN.1 vaccine should generate higher levels of antibodies against circulating virus strains.

The committee did not recommend who should get the latest vaccine, leaving that to the CDC, which will be holding its own advisory committee meeting later this month.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Importance of Updating Outdated Software for U.S. Small Businesses: Avoiding Potential Losses

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C
Poor and outdated technology is costing the United States enormous amounts of money.according to
recent columns The Wall Street Journal said it would cost more than $1.5 trillion to fix, with “cybersecurity and operational failures, failed development projects, and maintenance of outdated systems costing $2.41 trillion annually.” There is.


According to the magazine, this “technical debt” lurks beneath the shiny newness of “an accumulation of band-aids and outdated systems not intended for today's use,” all of which need updating. It is said to be extremely sensitive.

And I don't know that.

I've been dealing with this problem every day for the past 20 years. My life revolves around outdated systems, outdated software, and patched databases. My company sells customer relationship management (CRM) software primarily to small and medium-sized businesses. And look at the old technology they still have.

It's not uncommon to come across older versions of Microsoft Office. One of his companies I know is still running Office 97. I see companies using QuickBooks on desktop computers. Remember ACT and GoldMine for contact managers? Yes, they're still there. Great Plains? MAS90? Yes, there are still remnants of these ancient accounting systems in today's products manufactured by Microsoft and Sage.

It's not uncommon to encounter companies with internal networks running legacy client/server applications on Windows machines.Approximately 81% of companies
still writing paper checks to suppliers. My company's biggest competitor is not any other CRM software. Someone is walking away from a prehistoric, proprietary system built on top of his FileMaker Pro, which hasn't been updated since the system's creator passed away ten years ago.

Over the years, I have never faulted small business owners for not upgrading.

These people spent a lot of money implementing software systems back in the day. They'd have to come up with a pretty good reason to scrap it all and start fresh. Cloud? Better security? More integration? Maybe. But then again, wouldn't that money be better spent buying new equipment, repairing the warehouse roof, or medical care? And don't we hear about the mistakes made by ~? ?
microsoft and
Google And A.I.
“hallucination” And that
data breach Are the world's smartest people at the biggest technology companies that are supposed to work for them? Can we trust these companies and their shiny new applications? Why invite trouble?

Replacing or upgrading technology is one of the many decisions businesspeople have to make every year. They know the chaos it causes. And many of my clients shrug their shoulders and say it's not broken so why fix it?

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Understood. But now my feelings are starting to change. No, I'm not siding with big tech companies. It's about inheritance.

More than half of small business owners in this country are over 50 years old, and the baby boomers currently running companies will likely aim to take the next step in the not-too-distant future. They expect to make the most money from the business they have built over the past few decades. But the same people who saved money on technology upgrades to invest elsewhere will be shocked. why?

Because this is a world of big data and unless the technology is up to date, the price of your business will be greatly affected. This is not a technical issue. It's a matter of evaluation. Buyers will quickly discount the purchase price to cover the cost of having to upgrade or replace these older systems.

My advice to business owners looking to leave their companies within the next 10 years is that it's time to upgrade. Otherwise, “technical debt” will cost you dearly.

Source: www.theguardian.com