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Despite how it sounds, a xenotransplant isn’t something from the latest Alien movie. It’s an increasingly credible science: the transplantation of animal organs into humans. The field took one of its biggest leaps forward on Monday. The FDA approved the biotech company eGenesis to begin human trials of pig-to-human kidney transplants.

eGenesis provides pigs with CRISPR-modified genes. These genetic changes reduce the chances of organ rejection in human recipients. The FDA approved the company for Investigational New Drug (IND) Clearance for a three-phase study. Each stage will increase the number of patients if the results support moving forward.

Only those with end-stage kidney disease will be eligible. They’ll also need to be 50 or older, dialysis-dependent and on the kidney transplant waitlist. Around 86,000 people are currently on the kidney waitlist. The average wait time is three to five years at most centers. It can be longer for rarer blood types. Over 800,000 Americans have end-stage kidney disease.

eGenesis isn’t alone: United Therapeutics, another gene-edited pig developer, will soon begin enrolling people in a similar FDA-approved study.

“Advances in xenotransplantation are giving our community hope that new options may soon be available to those who need them most,” National Kidney Foundation CEO Kevin Longino wrote in a press release. “Patients expressed strong support for the advancement of clinical trials in our recent Xenotransplantation Voice of the Patient report. It is gratifying to know they’re being heard.”

The trial approval coincided with news of another successful xenotransplant. Bill Stewart, an otherwise healthy 54-year-old New Hampshire resident, received one of eGenesis’ pig kidneys on June 14. Before the operation, he received dialysis three times per week for over two years. His organ donor wait was longer than most due to his blood type. He was discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital on June 21 and no longer requires dialysis.

“There’s so few of us who have done this, and they’re writing the protocol as we go, so to speak,” Stewart told CNN. “But I’m feeling good.”

Tim Andrews, 67, received a pig kidney in January. Before his transplant, he required dialysis for over two years. Over seven months after the operation, he’s still dialysis-free. He’s currently the longest living recipient. 

Earlier transplant recipients had significant underlying health problems. That limited scientists’ ability to conduct long-term tests. Trials with healthier patients will assess the durability of the organs over time.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/the-fda-approves-human-trials-for-pig-kidney-transplants-165416004.html?src=rss 

Apple announced three new smartwatches at its “Awe Dropping” event today. Along with new iPhone 17 models, we now have the Apple Watch Series 11 as the rumors predicted. Engadget’s Cherlynn Low, Sam Rutherford and Billy Steele are on the ground at the event, so we’ll have hands-on coverage soon, followed by full reviews in a week or so. In the meantime, here’s everything we know about the newest Apple Watch.

Apple Watch Series 11

The keynote speech started off with dramatic testimonials of how the Apple Watch has helped people with their health and well being, alerting people to health issues and calling for help that saved their lives. And the new model will help identify hypertension. 

As for what’s new this year, we heard from Stan Ng who called the Series 11 the thinnest and most comfortable ever. The screen now has a ceramic coating bonded at an atomic level making it two times more durable than before. Cellular connection has improved as well with 5G connectivity from most carriers at launch.  

This is a developing story. Check back for updates…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-series-11-includes-5g-and-a-hypertension-tracking-feature-172451506.html?src=rss 

After three years, the Apple Watch SE is finally getting a refresh. The company showed off the Apple Watch SE 3, the latest version of its budget-friendly wearable during its big iPhone 17 event.

The third-generation Apple Watch SE is getting some notable upgrades, including Apple’s S10 chip and new health-tracking features, including sleep apnea tracking. It also charges two times faster and supports 5G connections.

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-se-3-has-an-always-on-display-and-the-s10-chip-173033739.html?src=rss 

In an absolute shocker, an early September Apple event included the official reveal of the iPhone 17. Who could have seen that coming? Arguably the biggest change this time around — in the most literal sense — relates to the size of the display. At 6.3 inches, it’s larger than the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch screen. Sorry to iPhone users with smaller hands and anyone else who is fed up of every phone becoming more of a phablet.

Not only is the iPhone 17 screen larger than the one on its predecessor, it boasts a ProMotion display with a 120Hz refresh rate (you can perhaps thank my colleague Igor Bonifacic for making that happen).

This story is developing, please refresh for updates…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-17-boasts-a-larger-display-with-promotion-support-and-a-120hz-refresh-rate-173429663.html?src=rss 

It’s been two years since Apple updated its rugged, ultra-premium Watch Ultra line, so it was long overdue for a replacement. Today, at its Awe Dropping event to launch the iPhone 17, the company has unveiled the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The biggest feature is the inclusion of satellite communication, letting you stay in touch no matter where you are in the world. 

The company was naturally delighted to show off a broad number of tweaks that, in aggregate, more than make up for the additional delay. For instance, the Watch Ultra 3’s bezels have been slimmed down to accommodate the company’s largest display in a watch yet. Similarly, the display technology has been tweaked to improve off-angle viewing, making it easier for you to check the time when you don’t want everyone to notice that you’re checking the time.

An even more welcome improvement is in battery life, with Apple claiming the Ultra 3 will survive for 42 hours on a single charge. 

Naturally, you’ll also get all of the new bells and whistles announced with the Apple Watch Series 11. That includes hypertension alerts, keeping you aware of your heart health even if you don’t feel too bad at present. 

Apple commonly updates its devices annually, but the Ultra 2 has been top of the list for two years. It’s likely that the bulk of the company’s design focus in the previous cycle was on the top down redesign of the regular Watch. After all, the Watch 10 got a thinner case and, in the 46mm version, a display slightly bigger than the Watch Ultra. Plus, those in the know say that the S10 system-on-chip found in the 2024 models was just a smaller version of the S9 found in the Ultra 2. Consequently, there was little reason to upgrade the Ultra to the newer package since it already had plenty of room inside its beefy, rugged case.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is available to pre-order today, with shipments beginning on September 19.

This breaking news story is developing, please refresh for more information.

Apple Watch Ultra 3Apple Watch Ultra 2Apple Watch 10Case Size
49mm42mm, 46mmDisplay Resolution
410 x 502374 x 446, 416×496Max Brightness
3,000 nits2,000 nitsSoC
Apple S9Apple S10Battery Size
564 mAh327mAh

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-ultra-3-has-satellite-connectivity-and-larger-display-173046366.html?src=rss 

AI summaries seem to be everywhere, with the latest entry into the mix coming courtesy of Mozilla. The company has announced that its web browser, Firefox, is rolling out page summaries on mobile devices. Notably, this feature is only available for English-language iOS users in the US right now.

Unlike other major summary tools from Google and the like, Firefox’s page summaries are available when you shake your device. If you feel a bit weird doing that then you can, instead, tap the thunderbolt icon on the right side of the address bar. There’s also the option to click the three-dot menu icon and then tap summarize page. 

You should be able to get a summary of any webpage with 5,000 words or less — though, that might require a lot of guesstimating if the word count is anywhere close. You can also turn off summaries in settings.

Firefox will use Apple Intelligence for the summary if you have an iPhone 15 or newer once iOS 26 drops. Otherwise, Mozilla’s cloud-based AI should securely receive the page text and then create a summary. 

The latest summary feature follows Firefox’s Link Previews, launched in May. The experimental feature used AI to preview a link’s content, including a list of key points. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/firefox-provides-ai-page-summaries-if-you-shake-your-iphone-145837557.html?src=rss 

The Plex streaming platform has experienced a security breach and is telling customers to change their passwords “immediately.” They also suggest that users enable two-factor authentication and sign out of any connected devices that are currently logged in.

The company says a database was accessed by an “an unauthorized third party” and that some customers had their emails, usernames and hashed passwords exposed. As indicated, the breach involved hashed passwords, which are scrambled through an algorithm, so it’s unlikely the bad actor could read them. However, this is an absolute case of “better safe than sorry.”

Plex says credit card data is safe, which is a relief, as that information isn’t stored on its servers. The company says it is currently safeguarding its data and “undergoing additional reviews to ensure that the security of all of our systems is further strengthened to prevent future attacks.”

This whole ordeal is eerily reminiscent of a Plex data breach in 2022, in which a bad actor infiltrated the system and accessed people’s emails, usernames and passwords. So consider this your reminder to change passwords at regular intervals and to consider using a dedicated password manager. Authenticator apps can also be helpful. It’s the wild west out there.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/plex-tells-users-to-change-their-passwords-after-data-breach-152635869.html?src=rss 

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 wireless earbuds are back on sale for a record-low price of $45 a 44 percent discount. These earbuds remain our top pick for best budget wireless earbuds.

The most significant feature on the A40 earbuds is the inclusion of active noise cancellation (ANC), which is almost unheard of at this price point. It’s not the most sophisticated ANC, but it does sufficiently reduce constant rumbling background noise like on a plane. The built-in mic that’s used for transparency mode and phone calls is a bit subpar, especially when used in noisy areas.

These are budget-friendly, so while they can’t be expected to compete on audio quality with flagship headphones that cost hundreds of dollars, the sound is still impressive given their low cost. The sound profile is warm, with a strong upper-bass, while some of the higher frequencies lose finer details. For those wanting to fine-tune the sound on the A40s, the earbuds can be paired with the Soundcore app, which includes an EQ.

The small, round earpieces help make the A40s comfortable to wear for extended periods, and the charging case extends the already solid 10-hour battery life by another 50 or so hours. The Anker Soundcore Space A40 wireless earbuds are already one of the best value options on the market, and this sale makes them even more appealing.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-cheap-wireless-earbuds-are-back-on-sale-for-only-45-152704765.html?src=rss