Purell’s unproven disease-fighting claims get sanitized after FDA warning

Enlarge / Purell's marketing might need something like this. (credit: Getty | NBC, Lloyd Bishop)

The maker of Purell hand sanitizers is washing away some unproven marketing claims that its products reduce school absenteeism and prevent infections from germs such as Ebola, norovirus, flu, and certain drug-resistant infections.

The marketing disinfection comes after the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Purell's parent company, GOJO Industries. The letter, dated January 17 and released this week, stated that the company's claims violated federal regulations and that the agency now considers Purell hand sanitizers unapproved new drugs.

The FDA also noted that it is "unaware of any adequate and well-controlled clinical trials in the published literature that support" GOJO's claims.

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments

https://arstechnica.com

Tesla to begin deliveries of Model Y by end of first quarter

Tesla said Wednesday that production of the Model Y started this month with the first deliveries of the all-electric compact crossover to begin by the end of the first quarter as the company pushes to extend its profitability streak.

Production of the Model Y is at limited volume for now, CEO Elon Musk said during a call after earnings were released. Musk added that Tesla’s engineers have been able to increase the maximum EPA range of the all-wheel drive version of the Model Y to 315 miles. It was previously estimated at 280 miles.

Tesla reported Wednesday net income of $105 million, or 56 cents a diluted share, compared with $140 million, or 78 cents a share, in the same year-ago period. Tesla reported revenue of $7.38 billion, 17% higher than the third quarter, but just 1% higher than the $7.2 billion generated in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Tesla indicated in its fourth quarter report that it will turn to China and Model Y for revenue growth as deliveries of its higher profit margin Model X and Model S decrease. Tesla delivered 19,475 Model S and Model X in the fourth quarter, a 29% decline from the same period last year. Meanwhile, deliveries of Tesla’s cheaper Model 3 vehicle continued to climb. Tesla delivered 92,620 Model 3 vehicles in the fourth quarter, a 46% increase from the same period in 2018.

The Model Y is being produced at Tesla’s Fremont, Calif. factory, settling a long-running discussion within the company over where to build the upcoming vehicle. Tesla had also looked at producing the vehicle at its massive factory in Sparks, Nev., where it currently builds battery packs and electric motors.

Tesla said it will ramp up production of the Model Y gradually as it adds machinery through mid-2020. Once these expansions are done, installed combined Model 3 and Model Y capacity should reach 500,000 units
per year, the company said.

Tesla intends to eventually produce the Model Y in China, as well. The company’s Shanghai factory has capacity to produce 150,000 Model 3 vehicles. Tesla has broken ground on the next phase of its Shanghai factory, which will produce the Model Y.

“Given the popularity of the SUV vehicle segment, we are planning for Model Y capacity to be at least equivalent to Model 3 capacity,” the company said.

Facebook agrees to pay $550M to settle a class action over Illinois biometric law violations while tagging users in photos, after SCOTUS rejects its appeal (New York Times)

New York Times:
Facebook agrees to pay $550M to settle a class action over Illinois biometric law violations while tagging users in photos, after SCOTUS rejects its appeal  —  It was another black mark on the privacy record of the social network, which also reported its quarterly earnings.

How Facebook thinks its independent oversight board should work

The content appeals board, which will grow to about 40 members and will be able to overrule Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, is one of the company's high-profile responses to criticism over how it handles problematic content on Facebook and Instagram. https://ift.tt/37CU9Z3

Government may restore 2% additional duty incentive on mobile phones export

The government is likely to restore 2 per cent additional duty incentive on mobile phones export with effect from January 1, a source said. This duty benefit, which will help boost exports, is expected to continue till March 31, 2020. https://ift.tt/36xK2mT

Lime to pilot its sidewalk detection tech in San Jose, CA, claims its AI-based tech will warn riders when they are on a sidewalk 50% or more of the time (Dara Kerr/CNET)

Dara Kerr / CNET:
Lime to pilot its sidewalk detection tech in San Jose, CA, claims its AI-based tech will warn riders when they are on a sidewalk 50% or more of the time  —  The scooter company says its new tech can determine with up to 95% accuracy the type of road you're riding on.

Apple iPhone Sales Saw Double-Digit Growth in India Last Quarter

Apple registered double-digit growth in India for iPhone models in the holiday quarter (October-December period), the company's CEO Tim Cook has announced. https://ift.tt/3112cMO

EU Will Not Ban Huawei, but Impose 'Strict' 5G Rules

The EU will not ban Chinese telecom giant Huawei or any other company in Europe, a top official said on Tuesday, despite intense pressure from Washington to shun the firm over spying fears. https://ift.tt/2uJJq0A

Apple sets new sales record: iPhone, Apple Watch hit ‘all-time’ high and more

https://ift.tt/36wTiYx

Realme 5 Pro Price in India Slashed, Now Starts at Rs. 12,999

Realme 5 Pro has received a price cut in India. The Chinese smartphone maker has dropped the price of each storage variant of the Realme 5 Pro by Rs. 1,000. https://ift.tt/3aPK3Gn

How Facebook Thinks Its Independent Oversight Board Should Work

Facebook recommended rules on Tuesday for how its independent oversight board will work and said a former human rights group director will lead the board's administrative staff. https://ift.tt/2tZWdf1

Apple Supplier Says Plans in Place to Meet Obligations After Virus Outbreak

Apple supplier Foxconn said it could continue to meet all manufacturing obligations in the wake of a coronavirus outbreak in China even as the iPhone maker flagged uncertainty created by the disease. https://ift.tt/37CCOPQ

iPhone Sales Rise for First Time in a Year as Apple Reports Record Earnings

Apple on Tuesday reported sales and profits for the holiday shopping quarter above Wall Street expectations, thanks to rising iPhone sales for the first time in a year and soaring demand for add-ons... https://ift.tt/3aQpXvK

Facebook VP of Engineering Jay Parikh, who was instrumental in building Facebook's data center infrastructure, is leaving the company after more than a decade (Salvador Rodriguez/CNBC)

Salvador Rodriguez / CNBC:
Facebook VP of Engineering Jay Parikh, who was instrumental in building Facebook's data center infrastructure, is leaving the company after more than a decade  —  - Facebook's Vice President of Engineering Jay Parikh on Tuesday announced his departure from the company, joining a long list …

Apple delivers record Q4 earnings, powered by iPhones, services

Net profit hit an all-time high of $22 billion on record quarterly revenue of $91.8 billion, the tech giant said of the results which were far stronger than most analyst estimates. https://ift.tt/2UbuyCu https://ift.tt/eA8V8J