Kalakshar US

It has been nearly two months since 23andMe declared bankruptcy and the company has officially been sold. The US biotech company Regeneron has agreed to buy 23andMe and all of its assets for $256 million (even though it was valued at $50 million in March). This purchase marks the end of former 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki’s bid to buy the company, which included resigning in order to make an independent offer. 

According to Mark Jensen, Chair and member of the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of 23andMe, Regeneron is offering to keep all of the former company’s employees. This decision, “will allow us to continue our mission of helping people access, understand and gain health benefits through greater understanding of the human genome,” he said in a release. 

The announcement also tries to emphasize data protection following 23andMe users’ concerns about where their information might end up and, in some cases, deleting their data from the site. “We are pleased to have reached a transaction that maximizes the value of the business and enables the mission of 23andMe to live on, while maintaining critical protections around customer privacy, choice and consent with respect to their genetic data,” said Jensen. 

The sentiment was echoed by its soon to be new owner. “Through our Regeneron Genetics Center, we have a proven track record of safeguarding personal genetic data, and we assure 23andMe customers that we will apply our high standards for safety and integrity to their data and ongoing consumer genetic services,” said George D. Yancopoulos, MD, PhD, co-founder, board co-chair, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron in a statement. “We believe we can help 23andMe deliver and build upon its mission to help people learn about their own DNA and how to improve their personal health, while furthering Regeneron’s efforts to improve the health and wellness of many.”

How exactly 23andMe will shake out after the Regeneron purchase is to be seen. The company has taken a dramatic fall in recent years, since going public. Hackers accessed the information of 6.9 million people in 2023 and 23andMe laid off over 200 people last year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/23andme-bought-by-regeneron-in-court-auction-174003286.html?src=rss 

Bluesky doesn’t have its own live streaming capabilities, but the service testing out a new feature to boost users’ streams off the platform. The company is allowing “select” accounts to link their Twitch or YouTube accounts to their profiles, which will display a red indicator and “live” badge when they’re actively streaming.

In an update, Bluesky described the feature as an “early test” that will initially only be available to a “handful of accounts” before it’s ready for a wider launch. “Bluesky is the place for breaking news and real-time updates,” the company said. “This tool supports streamers, journalists, and anyone sharing live moments as they happen.”

The update comes one day after the service showed off a similar badge for the NBA’s official Bluesky account. The league will apparently direct fans on Bluesky to “live content they are promoting,” Bluesky COO Rose Wang said. Partnering with the NBA on the feature is an interesting move for Bluesky. Sports fans, and NBA fans in particular, have had an outsized impact on Twitter’s culture. And the company now known as X has inked several high-profile deals with the NBA and other major sports leagues over the years to promote their content.

Notably, Bluesky doesn’t have advertising. It’s using the “live” indicators to direct users to off-platform content, so it’s unclear if there are any business opportunities for the upstart platform that come with this feature. But it shows that Bluesky wants to play a bigger role in the kinds of conversations that once shaped Twitter’s culture, and make a name for itself as a destination to follow live events.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/bluesky-is-testing-a-live-now-feature-with-streamers-and-the-nba-174443865.html?src=rss 

Surprising no one, Microsoft‘s Build 2025 conference is mostly centered around its Copilot AI. Today, the company announced that it has begun rolling out its “Wave 2 Spring release,” which includes a revamped Microsoft 365 Copilot app. It’s also unveiled Copilot Tuning, a “low-code” method of building AI models that work with your company’s specific data and processes. The goal, it seems, isn’t to just make consumers reliant on OpenAI‘s ChatGPT model, which powers Copilot. Instead, Microsoft is aiming to empower businesses to make tools for their own needs. (For a pricey $30 per seat subscription, on top of your existing MS 365 subscription, of course.)

Microsoft claims that Copilot Tuning, which arrives in June for members of an early adopter program, could let a law firm make AI agents that “reflect its unique voice and expertise” by drafting documents and arguments automatically without any coding. Copilot Studio, the company’s existing tool for developing AI agents, will also exchange be able to “exchange data, collaborate on tasks, and divide their work based on each agent’s expertise.” Conceivably, a company could have its HR and IT agents collaborating together, rather than being siloed off in their own domains. 

With the new Microsoft 365 Copilot app, Microsoft has centered chatting with its AI to accomplish specific tasks. The layout looks fairly simple, and it appears that you’ll also be able to tap into your existing agents and collaborative pages as well. As Microsoft announced in April, you’ll also be able to purchase new agents in a built-in store, as well as build up Copilot Notebooks to collect your digital scraps. Like an AI version of OneNote or Evernote, Notebooks could potentially help you surface thoughts across a variety of media, and it can also produce two-person podcasts to summarize your notes. (It’s unclear if they’ll actually sound good enough to be useful, though.)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/a-new-microsoft-365-copilot-app-starts-rolling-out-today-160002322.html?src=rss 

PBS, alongside NPR, is facing an unprecedented attempt from the executive branch to cut its federal funding and potentially reduce what it can offer. But, in good news, one of its mainstays will be widely available — at least for the time being. New episodes of Sesame Street are coming to both Netflix and PBS. 

The 56th season of Sesame Street will be available worldwide on Netflix and on PBS in the US. New episodes will come out the same day on the streamer, PBS Stations and PBS KIDS. “This unique public-private partnership will enable us to bring our research-based curriculum to young children around the world with Netflix’s global reach, while ensuring children in communities across the US continue to have free access on public television to the Sesame Street they love,” Sesame Workshop stated in a release. 

The deal also entitles Netflix to 90 hours of previously aired Sesame Street episodes. However, the new releases should look a bit different. Now, each episode will feature an 11-minute story, meant to allow for a deeper dive. There will also be a new animated bit called “Tales From 123,” which takes place inside the characters’ apartment building. Old segments will also return, like Elmo’s World and Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck.

HBO has been the home of Sesame Street for the last decade, but didn’t renew it’s partnership last year. Sesame Street fans who want to stick with PBS, though, will likely be happy about the new Netflix deal. With the old arrangement, Sesame Street episodes didn’t air on PBS until the entire season had already arrived on HBO. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sesame-street-will-air-on-netflix-and-pbs-simultaneously-151545769.html?src=rss 

Among the myriad Memorial Day deals you can take advantage of, there are a bunch of notable ones on tech products. Take, for instance, the latest Ring Video Doorbell. This model will run you $55. That’s $45 off the list price and a record low for this item.

This is a battery-powered version of the doorbell, so you won’t have to spend a second figuring out how to hook it up to existing wiring. It’ll be easy to recharge the Video Doorbell too. When you need to top up the battery, all you’ll need to do is detach the device and plug in a USB-C cable for a while.

This version of the Ring Video Doorbell provides a head-to-toe view of the person who’s on your doorstep, as it offers 66 percent more vertical coverage than the previous model. The live view feature delivers a real-time feed from the camera to your phone, tablet or other compatible device. There’s a two-way talk function as well, so you can chat with the person at your door no matter where you are.

You can receive real-time alerts on your phone whenever the Ring Video Doorbell picks up movement through its motion-detection function. However, you’ll need to pony up for a Ring Home plan (starting at $5 per month) to get more detailed alerts, such as whether the motion alert was due to a person ringing your doorbell, a package delivery and so on. The subscription includes features like access to 180 days of event video history. If you opt for the $20 per month premium tier, you’ll get 24/7 recording for every compatible doorbell and camera in your home.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/memorial-day-deals-include-the-2024-ring-video-doorbell-at-a-record-low-price-162236863.html?src=rss