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Yountville launches entertainment zone
Yountville in Napa County launched its first open container district.
Compass expands agent benefits with health and retirement support
Compass launched concierge healthcare and retirement planning for 250,000 agents, including ACA navigation and Solo or team 401(k) setup.
S&T launches glass science lecture series honoring Delbert Day
Dr. Claudio Mazzali, vice president of global research at Corning Inc., speaking at the inaugural Delbert E. Day Lecture on Glass Science and Technology on Oct. 15 at the Innovation Lab atrium. Photo by Peter Ehrhard. Missouri S&T launched a new lecture series honoring a longtime university researcher whose research in specialty glass has helped...Continue Reading S&T launches glass science lecture series honoring Delbert Day
Aon, Munich Re launch pandemic reinsurance facility
Aon plc and Germany’s Munich Re have launched a first-of-its-kind parametric pandemic reinsurance facility covering hospitality risks across Indonesia and the Philippines, Artemis reported.
Sisters family launches seasoning business to thank firefighters after Flat Fire
After evacuating during Flat Fire last year, a Sisters family launched a smoked seasoning company over the summer to give back to local firefighters and first responders. When the Flat […]
Apple to eliminate non-touch MacBooks Pros other than core 14-inch model
When Apple launched the new touch-enabled MacBook Pros, the M5 Pro and M5 Max models stuck around. A new report says to not expect that to last.
Entertainment
Playhouse at McConnellstown has launched its "Raise the Roof" Capital Campaign to raise $30,000 for repairs to the theater's roof and gutter system. Donations of any amount are being accepted
Vance tosses Trump under the bus in a bid to keep 2028 hope alive
Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday surveyed the wreckage of the MAGA coalition and spilled his thoughts in an extraordinary social media post that launched the 2028 presidential campaign.
Building for Tomorrow is Better for Business Today
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has launched the seventh round of its Buildings of Excellence Competition.
Most comprehensive atlas of healthy human tissue launched to help understand disease
Researchers and data scientists from dozens of universities, hospitals and other institutions across the United States have built an online portal that provides free, open access to one of the most comprehensive ...
How Trump’s ‘little detour’ to Iran became a roadblock in the midterm elections
When President Donald Trump launched his war on Iran, he said it would last a matter of weeks.
Austin couple launches mobile candy truck business
Austin entrepreneurs Faryn and Greg Kinney launched Bite Size ATX, a mobile candy truck featuring imported Swedish and European treats.
Social Media Campaign Shows Actors Struggling to Qualify For Insurance
Cheyenne Jackson launched the social media effort, which has had a massive influx of requests as actors face a tough jobs environment in Hollywood.
WECT NEWS NOW: Novant Health launches virtual clinic for men’s sexual health
Novant Health has launched a telehealth clinic focused on men’s sexual health, and the clinic’s lead physician said it is open to men 18 and older.
$10,000 in Vanguard's Health Care ETF in 2004 Grew to $93,915, and It Still Charges 0.09%
A single health care ETF launched two decades ago at rock-bottom cost has quietly compounded into a sum that surprises most investors, but whether its three closest rivals can match it depends entirely on what kind of risk you are willing to carry.
Amazon just launched new tablets, so the previous generation is is 53% off while supplies last
The on-sale tablet has more than 34,000 perfect ratings.
Wembanyama launched a career-high 34 shots for a …
Wembanyama launched a career-high 34 shots for a …
UCSB computer science department now offers new artificial intelligence major
For the first time, UC Santa Barbara students will be able to make artificial intelligence the focus of their undergraduate experience. As of this quarter, the UCSB computer science (CS) department has launched a new undergraduate major in artificial intelligence (AI).
NASA Voyager mission project scientist to deliver URI Honors Colloquium lecture on Nov. 10
KINGSTON, R.I. – Nov. 2, 2026 – Nearly a half century ago, NASA broke ground by reaching for the stars and beyond with its first Voyager missions when Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were launched to explore Jupiter and Saturn. Since then, the two spacecraft have become the furthest-traveling, human-made objects in history, crossing the […]
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 has dropped to $699.99 on Amazon, down from $799.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the new Ultra 4, which just launched in September. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
WECT NEWS NOW: Novant Health launches virtual clinic for men’s sexual health
Novant Health has launched a telehealth clinic focused on men’s sexual health, open to men 18 and older.
Instagram Launched for Actors About to Lose SAG-AFTRA Health Insurance
Actors on the verge of losing SAG-AFTRA health insurance are finding support via Cheyenne Jackson's new 'One Job Away' Instagram campaign.
BitGo Launches Institutional Trading Business
Cryptocurrency infrastructure firm BitGo Holdings (NYSE: $BTGO) has launched a new institutional trading and financ...
Black Sports Professionals expands executive accelerator to develop next generation of sports leaders
The National Society of Black Sports Professionals launched its third Sports Business Executive Accelerator to continue to advance inclusion in sports business.
NASA’s Lucy Reaches Trojan Asteroid Region 5 Years After Launch
Having traveled more than 2.2 billion miles since it launched on Oct. 16, 2021, NASA’s Lucy is the first spacecraft to enter a region of primitive solar-system bodies known as the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
iOS 27.3 Beta Brings Back Apple's Redesigned Health App
iOS 27.3 reintroduces the redesigned Health app previewed in September. Apple tested the new Health app in the iOS 27.2 beta, but it was removed before the update launched. The Health app has been updated, and there are new Insights and Longevity tabs that show more information about your health and fitness metrics. The Insights tab includes your most recent health data, like Activity Rings, heart rate, sleep score, and vitals. Apple Intelligence will use that information to offer Personal Guidance.
Ex-YMU Global Entertainment Boss Launches London Agency Repping Creators Including Topjaw’s Jesse Burgess
EXCLUSIVE: UK agent Lucy Loveridge, a former global entertainment chief at YMU, has launched a London agency repping creators. Loveridge’s outfit, Nothing to See Here, opens with her former YMU client...
iOS 27.3 introduces new iPhone Duo feature for one-handed use
iOS 27.3 beta 1 launched today with a variety of new features, including a big upgrade for one-handed iPhone Duo use thanks to Reachability.
New global Mouth-to-Body Health Institute aims to turn oral-systemic science into better prevention and care
A new global institute has been launched to advance research into the relationship between oral health and overall health and turn the latest oral-systemic science into better prevention and care.
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2
Apple today released macOS Golden Gate 27.2, the first major update to the macOS 27 operating system that launched in September. Mac users can download macOS Golden Gate 27.2 by opening up the System Settings app and using the Software Update option. macOS Golden Gate 27.2 overhauls the brightness and volume sliders, plus it expands Siri AI to new languages including French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Apple's release notes for the update are below.
iPadOS 27.2 adds convenient new multitasking option on iPad
iPadOS 27.2 launched last week with a variety of new features for iPad, including a convenient change for multitasking.
Indy’s first designated outdoor refreshment area debuts at Irvington Halloween Festival
INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time, people attending the Irvington Halloween Festival can buy a drink at a bar and enjoy it outdoors, thanks to Indianapolis’ first designated outdoor refreshment area. The city approved the DORA, which launched in October. The program gives festivalgoers another way to enjoy the event and creates more opportunities for […]
Chris Pratt went from living in a van to Hollywood stardom after chance encounter changed everything
Chris Pratt recalls the moment Rae Dawn Chong walked into Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and offered him a role that launched his Hollywood career.
Entertainment
Playhouse at McConnellstown has launched its “Raise the Roof” Capital Campaign to raise $30,000 for repairs to the theater’s roof and gutter system. Donations of any amount are being accepted
WECT NEWS NOW: Novant Health launches virtual clinic for men’s sexual health
Novant Health has launched a telehealth clinic focused on men’s sexual health, and the clinic’s lead physician said it is open to men 18 and older.
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
Samsung this week launched an advertising campaign mocking the display issues some people have had with the iPhone Duo. In an Instagram post on its Canadian account, Samsung shared several images showing a bright line through the spot where iPhone Duo models have been experiencing display problems. There are three images, each with different text: Folding is nothing new to us Folding. We know a thing or eight.
Mac Studio M5 Ultra 512GB RAM upgrade costs $15,500 on its own
Months after Apple launched the latest Mac Studio, it is finally taking orders for one more configuration, the 512GB RAM M5 Ultra. It's extremely costly.
Anthropic just launched tools to show companies what their AI spending is buying
The frontier lab is lifting the curtain on how users spend money on its models ahead of a planned IPO.
With new digital dashboard, Morrisey promises to move at ‘the speed of business’
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey launched a new digital dashboard that offers a one-stop shop for businesses applying for permits. The system, which had a soft launch Oct. 1, pulls together permit applications from 13 different agencies. It will also include a fast-track application process. The One Stop Shop Permitting Portal is part of the Speed to Build initiative.
‘One job away’ campaign launches to help actors keep health insurance
Amid a lack of acting roles in Hollywood, one actor has launched a social media campaign to help SAG-AFTRA members on the verge of losing their union health benefits. Cheyenne Jackson, who has appe…
iOS 27.2.1 Coming Soon, iOS 27.3 Beta Likely Available Tomorrow
Apple has started testing iOS 27.2.1, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 27.2.1 should be a minor update that includes bug fixes and/or security patches, including for the iPhone Duo that launched Friday, October 23. We do not know exactly when the update will be released, but usually upcoming iOS versions begin to show up in our logs a few days to a few weeks before they are made available to the public.
Wawanesa rolls out WSI after buying Everest’s Canada business
Canadian firm The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company has launched WSI, A Wawanesa Company, after acquiring Everest Insurance Company of Canada from Bermuda-based Everest Group Ltd., Beinsure reported.
Mark Gurman: Apple Initially Aimed to Release iPhone Duo in November
Apple initially aimed to "wait until November" to release the iPhone Duo in the U.S. and China only, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, but it ultimately launched the device in more than 70 countries on Friday, October 23. "Apple rushed the Duo to market without enough inventory to meet demand," he said. "Apple rushed the Duo to market without enough inventory to meet demand," he said.
These college students launched legal tech startup during finals week
Raphael Lim and Jamison Teng have had to sacrifice social life, grades, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training to build up Jam & Raph.
Canadian BioWare fans are calling on the government to fund the studio
BioWare fans have launched a petition in Canada…
iOS 27.2 adds new video feature that’s perfect for iPhone Duo
iOS 27.2 launched this week with many new features, including an Apple TV app upgrade that’s especially perfect for iPhone Duo: Multiview.
Texas Athletics and McCombs’ Business of Sports Institute Launch Bevo Lab for Sports AI and Analytics
University of Texas Athletics and the Business of Sports Institute (BOSI) in the McCombs School of Business, in cooperation with Longhorn Sports Properties, have launched Bevo Lab, a platform that...
Amazon announced five new Alexa devices, including 16-inch Echo Show
Apple recently launched new HomePod mini speakers and its HomeView smart display, and today it’s Amazon’s turn with five new...
WECT NEWS NOW: Novant Health launches virtual clinic for men’s sexual health
Novant Health has launched a telehealth clinic focused on men’s sexual health, and the clinic’s lead physician said it is open to men 18 and older.
iOS 27.2 gives Shortcuts app these new and improved features
iOS 27.2 launched this week with a handful of improvements for the Shortcuts app. Here’s everything new in Shortcuts.
G5 Entertainment: Established-game declines weighed on revenue as G5 Store growth lifted margins
Revenue fell 20% YoY as established games weakened, while gross margin hit 74.1% and adjusted EBIT rose YoY. G5 Store distribution, cost savings and a soft-launched new game are key growth levers, with new-game scalability still uncertain.Based on G5 Entertainment AB [G5EN] Q3 2026 Audio Transcript…
Vantage launches facultative reinsurance business
Vantage Group has launched a facultative reinsurance business and named Lisa Pickard its president, the Bermuda-based insurer and reinsurer said Tuesday.
OpenAI: ChatGPT Search Is About 20% of Google’s, 250 Million People Speak With ChatGPT, and Chat Is Merging With Work
OpenAI says ChatGPT growth is accelerating. The company added 200 million users over just the past two months, jumping from 1 billion to 1.2 billion weekly active users in 60 days. Its search volume, it says, is approximately 20% of Google’s. Its users create 1.5 billion images with it per week. And its voice mode, between dictation and speaking with ChatGPT, now has 250 million combined weekly active users. ChatGPT consumer product lead Adam Fry told me this during a brief fireside chat at an OpenAI-hosted dinner in New York City on Monday night. “The growth is just going big,” he said. During our conversation, Fry also revealed plans to merge ChatGPT’s Chat and Work modes (so that confusing toggle up top will soon go away), agreed with feedback that ChatGPT-created restaurant signage looks too uniform, and addressed the cost to serve its personal assistant Dots. Here’s a look at our full conversation, lightly edited for clarity and length. We also cover image generation, interactive interfaces, advertising, education, and public unease about AI: Alex Kantrowitz: OpenAI has analyzed ChatGPT’s search volume and compared it with Google’s. What did you find? Adam Fry: ChatGPT has been growing quite quickly. ChatGPT’s volume of search-like queries is now roughly one-fifth the volume of queries of Google. It’s a pretty amazing statistic when you think about it, mainly because we started just about a year and a half ago. It’s hard to remember this, but ChatGPT at a time didn’t have any up-to-date information. You’d ask a question, it would say something like, “It’s past my training date,” and nobody had any idea what that meant. You’re saying ChatGPT’s search volume is one-fifth of Google’s. Bing’s share of the search market is around 5%. Does that make you multiple times larger than Bing? To say that more directly, ChatGPT has gone from one billion to 1.2 in just the last two months. That’s roughly 100 million users in 30 days, and another 100 million in another 30 days. The growth is just going big, and we’re staying very focused on how fast ChatGPT is growing. What counts as a search? I might have 20 prompts back and forth in a ChatGPT conversation. Does each one count as a query? Story continues below… A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR Move upmarket without a rebuild Moving upmarket means saying yes to what enterprise buyers ask for first: SSO, directory sync, and audit logs. WorkOS gives you all three, so your team keeps building the product instead of the checklist. Get enterprise-ready. Continued from above…. Adam Fry: What people came to ChatGPT for to start, if you go back about two years, is really writing help and coding help. Those wouldn’t be things that you really search for. What we’ve seen over the last year is people have grown into all these other topics. Things like you’re looking up a person or people or a place or a thing, and it requires up-to-date information. That’s a key element. Another big part is finance questions or health questions, where you really want to make sure it’s up-to-date information that’s quite factual, and we’ll do a web search for those questions. It’s basically anything that a user would have traditionally gone to a traditional search engine for, but is now deciding to go to ChatGPT for. Does each conversation with a search embedded count as one search, or does every question that requires a web search count? Every time you ask a question and go search the web, that’s a search. You used to work at Google. How would you say the nature of search is changing? One of the things that people really love about ChatGPT is this personalization and this understanding of the broader journey. If you look in the past, people would go for a Q&A box, and you’d ask a one-off question, like how tall is the Eiffel Tower. But there’s so much context in our lives around, “Maybe I’m taking a trip to Paris.” It’s actually helpful for ChatGPT to respond, “Here’s how tall the Eiffel Tower is, but I know you’re going on a trip to Paris.” It’s that ability for people to actually maintain context over time that has led them to start using ChatGPT in this way. You’ve also announced 250 million weekly active users of voice input, including dictation and conversations with voice mode. We are at 250 million weekly active users. What’s amazing about this is, if you look at those 250 million, what we’re seeing is it’s actually also incremental to the product. It’s no longer just a novelty. People aren’t just trying out voice. We’re seeing them use voice input day to day in their daily life, and it’s grown so quickly. Those 250 million users are using voice input, and that could just be a quick question or a long conversation. We’re seeing both behaviors. We’re seeing people just not want to type. You just hold it and start talking to it, or it turns into a longer conversation where people just sit with it. The big reason for this is the frontier capabilities of our models that we’ve shipped. We shipped what we call GPT Live 1, and then we shipped GPT Live 1.1. The big change with this is that it’s much more natural to speak with. It’s something we call backchanneling and interruptibility. Mhhhm… What you just did there is what the model does, because it’s really good at having a bidirectional conversation. That push to the frontier—we were the first to really release this at scale—has made it so much more natural for people to chat. That’s still only about 20% of the user base. From the outside, that looks small. Why is it exciting from the inside? It’s very exciting for a few reasons. We see from the data that when people start using voice, they stay around using voice. One of the things, transparently, we can do a better job of is bringing more people into discovering it. We see that the number of people who discover it could be a lot higher. But once they do, it’s a really new way for people to interact with AI. We’ve made a lot of improvements to it too, where we’re just going to see the number go up. You have background mode, so now by default, if you close the app, it’ll show, “Hey, the conversation’s still going.” If you want to walk around the house or you’re putting away the groceries, you can still have a chat. That kind of continuity has also changed how much people use it. Dots launched on September 29 and is about a month old. How’s it doing? It’s doing great. We talk to people about their Dot, and the first thing that everyone says is, “I love my Dot.” One of the reasons we’re seeing this is the proactivity, its ability to reach out to you and figure out things. The biggest use case I see all the time is, “Did I forget something today that I was supposed to do?” You can just say to your Dot, “Remind me of things at the end of the day that I may have forgotten. Somebody emailed me or messaged me,” and it’ll do that. This Dot changes the paradigm of the relationship with AI, where it’s actually helping you and giving you time back. You’re more conservative with permissions than some competitors. I tried to give my Dot my credit card, and it wouldn’t take it. With the creator of OpenClaw in-house, why are Dots’ permissions more limited? This is a space where we want to be very thoughtful and conservative because it’s a new space where you’re entrusting your Dot to take care of things on behalf of you that matter and are meaningful. We’ve just talked about how you go to this 1.2 billion user growth and asking questions. Now we’re asking people, “Can you ask ChatGPT or your Dot to help get things done?” But when you ask it to help get things done, it’s a whole new level of trust. We’ve built up a tremendous amount of trust in giving the right answers to your questions, and we want to make sure that when we build this new product, it has a high degree of trust. It’s a long game. We think this is going to be a new market for a very long time, and we want to make sure that we’re being this trusted player in the market to start. I initially thought Dots would be available on my $20 plan, then realized I had to spend $100 a month to get it. I upgraded, but I’d like to downgrade at some point…. We hope to keep earning your business and make the value good enough. It’s a really good point. ChatGPT’s goal more broadly, which I think is unique for us in the market, is we are focused on bringing intelligence to everyone safely across the entire world. For Dots in particular, there’s no difference. We don’t have anything to share tonight about the date of when Dots will go to a broader set of users. But you can rest assured we’re working very hard, and there are a couple things we have to get right. Over time we’re going to work on more efficient, agentic models that are able and capable of doing things for you. The first one is, right now we wanted to make sure that your Dot is actually really helpful. We started with some of our best models, but over time we’re going to work on more efficient, agentic models that are able and capable of doing things for you. The second thing is around proactivity. We’re still dialing in: How much do I message you to help you get things done? We can always play around with that to understand how much usage should a user use to have a successful Dot. We’re going to work on both, and our goal and ambition is to bring it out to all users. How much background computing does a Dot require? I’ve read estimates that serving a $100 subscriber might cost OpenAI $3,000 in compute, and mine seems to read every email that arrives. How often is it checking connected data sources? Right now, Dots are on the compute-heavier side, and this is one of the things we want to make sure that we can dial back over time. But the goal is to give you the best product. This is our premium, always-on personal assistant. Once we nail that, we’ll figure out how to dial back the compute needs. The thing we’re seeing also from our models, as we train frontier models, is just how—I can’t even keep up with how quickly we have a new model, and each new model is more efficient. If you looked at 6.1 Sol when it came out relative to Astra, much more efficient. I’m very excited about the next set of models we have coming too that’ll be even more efficient that we can use. Elon Musk said the cost of serving Grok Bot was unsustainably high relative to revenue. Is efficiency the key to winning against competitors, or is there more to it? There are a couple of factors that go into it. One is the cost side, but the other is the revenue side. On ChatGPT and on our consumer business, we’ve been extremely proud of our ability to diversify different revenue streams in a way that’s growing really fast. To give you another stat, we announced several months back that we had passed 50 million subscriptions, and the number has grown considerably since then. On ads, within 200 days, we reached more than a billion in ARR, and that business is growing extremely quickly. We also have credits. Rather than paying for subscriptions, users can buy more credits. Between credits, subscriptions, and ads, I’m confident that the value of a Dot is going to be able to pay for itself. Elon has subscriptions too. This is clearly an expensive product to serve. One thing we continue to bet on at OpenAI and ChatGPT more broadly is that the models will continue to get much better and much cheaper, way faster than any of us think. If you look back at the historicals on it, it continues to be true. From what I’ve seen, I see no slowing down of that. What is Meta doing right with Muse? It has spent a lot of time atop the App Store charts. There are a couple of things they’ve done well. The first is people have been craving simplicity in their products. One of the things we have stated publicly as well is, at times AI products can be too complex. We’ve announced we’re merging ChatGPT’s Chat and Work. We’re making it much more simple in the products. You don’t have as many toggles or sliders between efforts and different model pickers. One of the things they’ve done well is this simplicity. You just go in and you can ask a question. You don’t have to think too much about what you’re doing. That’s one thing that seems to have resonated with users, which we also believe in. Second, there’s something really nice about being able to access your agent across many different channels. We just announced and launched Dots on iMessage. Whether you talk to your Dot on email or iMessage or within the ChatGPT app, the ubiquity in getting your assistant out there is going to be key. Those are two things that, if I had to be nice to our competitors, I would say were two big ones. So Alexandr Wang’s meme-tweeting strategy isn’t something you’re going to emulate? I have a different tweeting style. ChatGPT still asks me to choose between Chat and Work, even though some people call this technology AGI. Will that distinction go away? Couldn’t agree more. We have to solve this. Asking users to choose — we’ve heard repeatedly from all of our users it’s too much to understand. When should you go to Chat? When should you go to Work? It’s solvable. There’s real research to solve to make sure the models can understand what your intent is. Are you asking for a fast, quick reply? Are you asking me to go do a long agentic task? We’re going to solve it, and the plan is to bring Chat and Work together. So one interface will work out whether I’m asking for a conversation or a task. When? Coming soon. You told me the majority of ChatGPT’s 1.2 billion users are using image functionality. What are they doing? Today, 1.5 billion images are created per week. It’s hard to even wrap my head around that number. They’re doing a wide range of things. One of the most interesting things they’ve started to do is really use it for productivity use cases. The first thing it started with—I don’t know if you saw the ’80s trend, but it was quite fun. You could take a photo of yourself and say, “Put me and my family in ’80s outfits.” I did this for my family, and it was a really fun poster. But what we’re also seeing is businesses for their menus, or posters for birthdays. People are using it almost in a productivity-like fashion to create visual diagrams of what they would like to see. We’ve actually brought the latency down on images as well, so it’s gotten a lot faster. It went from a very high number of seconds to getting much faster. As it comes down even further, the number of images people are creating and the number of use cases is going to grow a lot. My feature request: When a restaurant makes a menu or sign, prompt it for more specificity so it doesn’t look like every other AI-generated restaurant sign. Or offer a shuffle button for a different style. I agree with the feedback, and we’ll take it to the team. I’m seeing ChatGPT generate little interactive interfaces within its answers. What’s the direction for Intelligent UI, and how are people using it? I am extremely excited about Intelligent UI. If you go back a couple years, these chat apps were all text, and now that’s changing. They’re going to be visuals. Intelligent UI and our first attempt at this with GPT-6 Intelligent UI is really just the beginning. As you go to the extreme, what you can imagine is, let’s say you’re using voice mode, and you just say, “Show me how offside works.” Immediately it should show you a visual diagram, and you say, “No, I don’t quite understand it.” It should just repopulate. That’s where the future of this technology goes. It’s almost like you’re talking to a canvas that will update and change. People are finding it helpful for a lot of things. My favorite one is—it’s hard to admit that I had no idea how hearts work. The last biology course I took was in high school. I just asked it, “How does the heart work?” and it instantly gave me a beautiful interactive diagram of where blood flows and how it goes through. I’m really, really bullish on this for learning in particular. You’ve described useful applications in finance, health, and learning, and ChatGPT has 1.2 billion users. If people are getting so much value, why is public polling on AI so negative? The reality with AI is it is going to change the nature of how work gets done. For a lot of people, that is something that can feel scary at times, and we’ve all felt that. But I remain confident that when people actually use the product and they use AI, it very quickly changes how they perceive it. We’re at 1.2 billion, but there are still a lot of people who haven’t used it. The more people use it, get familiar with it, how it can actually help you in your life, it’s going to feel a lot less scary. Big Technology is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Thanks!! Subscribe
Miami Dade College-School of Health Sciences: Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Program to Meet Workforce Needs - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Dr. Ron Winston, Dean of the School of Health Sciences Miami Dade College (MDC), through its renowned School of Health Sciences, has launched a new Florida Department of Education-approved Bachelor […]
UCLA expands campus vending machines to offer 24/7 access to health essentials
UCLA announced this month that it will expand the number and operating hours of essential health vending machines on campus. The Be Well Bruin Express – launched by UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center and UCLA’s Health Education and Resource Team in partnership with UCLA Vending Services – is stocked with a variety of health-related products and operates 24 hours a day outside the Ashe Center.
New Open-Access Journal Biomedical Materials Science Launches to Link Materials Innovation with Patient Care
The new open-access journal Biomedical Materials Science has launched with an editorial outlining its mission to connect biomaterials innovation with real clinical needs and patient outcomes.
Samsung's next foldable is here, and it's even more expensive than the iPhone Duo
Samsung has launched the W27 foldable phone, and it has a starting price of almost $3,000. But those specs look extremely familiar.
V47 Entertainment, VIRTUE Asia and COL Group Reveal 2027 Microdrama Line Up
Launched at Inside Microdramas, the world's first dedicated upfront for microdramas and the vertical entertainment economy, the slate showcases formats designed for the next phase of brand storytelling
Business Monday: Longtime Kona sports bar rebrands under new name, Voyagers
The Kona Canoe Club, once a sports bar owned by famed LA Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale, launched a new name and menu in September: Voyagers.
Behind the science are stories. UCLA students launch LENS journal to tell them
UCLA students launched a new publication Monday that aims to raise awareness about environmental issues through storytelling. Written, edited and peer-reviewed entirely by undergraduate students, LENS: The Journal of Environmental Narratives allows students to display their creative and scholarly environmental work at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.
Everything Apple Announced This Week So Far: New iPad And MacBooks
Ahead of its 'Pro and Tell' event, the company has already launched a few new devices.
WECT NEWS NOW: Novant Health launches virtual clinic for men’s sexual health
Novant Health has launched a telehealth clinic focused on men’s sexual health, and the clinic’s lead physician said it is open to men 18 and older.
Des Moines Public Library Foundation seeks new executive director
The Des Moines Public Library Foundation has launched a search for a new executive director and chief advancement officer. The position will be responsible for fundraising, including developing donor relationships, securing major gifts and increasing financial support for the foundation. The executive director will also oversee the organization’s finances, operations and staff and work with…
Waymo in Integration With Ramp
Driverless car provider launched business platform a year ago
Staples Business Launched to Help Canadian Organizations Operate, Adapt, and Grow
New brand brings business essentials, services, and dedicated support together under one roof, says Staples Canada.
Miami Dade College-School of Health Sciences: Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Program to Meet Workforce Needs - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Dr. Ron Winston, Dean of the School of Health Sciences Miami Dade College (MDC), through its renowned School of Health Sciences, has launched a new Florida Department of Education-approved Bachelor […]
Lucy Loveridge Launches Nothing To See Here Repping Jesse Burgess
Lucy Loveridge has launched a Nothing to See Here agency repping Topjaw's Jesse Burgess and others.
DEA Prepares To Release List Of Marijuana Businesses That Applied For Federal Protections Under Trump's Rescheduling Move
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is preparing to release a list of state-licensed medical marijuana business that have applied in a timely fashion for federal protections that come with the Trump administration’s move to partially reschedule cannabis. A agency webpage launched on Wednesday said the forthcoming list—which will detail the states included in applicants’ business […]
September sports betting numbers show North Carolina on record pace
September marked the fourth-highest paid wagering total since North Carolina launched legal sports betting in March 2024. It could mean even bigger numbers in October and November.
Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 restock update: the Nintendo Store remains your best bet
🎮 The Zelda 40th anniversary Switch 2 was released on October 29 and flashed in and out of stock at the Nintendo Store 🚨 Our Zelda Switch 2 restock tracker @mattswider on X will send out an alert as soon as stock appears 👀 Walmart was our top pick to have a restock, but a supply chain delay has pushed the date back ⌚ In-store midnight launches are being held at GameStop, Best Buy, and Nintendo New York/San Francisco Walmart: Zelda Switch 2 console Best Buy: Zelda Switch 2 console GameStop: Zelda Switch 2 console Nintendo: Zelda Switch 2 console 🚨 We’re tracking Zelda Switch 2 stock updates. If you’d like to know when more stock arrives, follow Matt Swider on X and turn on notifications. You can also become a free or paid subscriber to The Shortcut to help support our work. 🚨 The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 launched yesterday, and it was the Nintendo Store that held the most restocks. The console flashed in and out of stock repeatedly throughout the day as limited units were sold and quickly snapped up. 🚨 Want the Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2? Drop your email for restock alerts before it sells out. ⤵️ Subscribe Many were met with error messages, “sold out” signs, or “couldn’t add the required amount” to their baskets. However, with a little persistence and luck, others were more successful. As it stands, it’s the best place to try to get the Zelda Switch 2, even if the experience can be a little frustrating. We’re expecting a similar situation today as our tracker continues to receive restock alerts. However, we’re reluctant to share them all as many have been false flags, but we immediately notified The Shortcut followers once the first restock went live. [ The Shortcut@theshortcut Zelda Switch 2 is back in stock at the Nintendo Store: nintendo.com Nintendo Switch™ 2 – The Legend of Zelda™ – 40th Anniversary Edition - Nintendo Official Site 4:18 PM · Oct 29, 2026 · 2.09K Views 2 Replies · 2 Likes ](https://x.com/theshortcut/status/2115840807773299128?a=b6yhtCFmoswv5lWWvEs&s=20) Amazon was the only other retailer to hold an online restock, though it sold out almost instantly. No more restocks took place, and sadly, the major Walmart restock of the Zelda Switch 2, which we were confident would take place, did not happen because of a supply chain issue. [ Matt Swider (The Shortcut)@mattswider ](https://x.com/mattswider/status/2115824408938111299?a=quc3qYd6I_Qe5wag2lU&s=20) 🚨 Zelda Switch 2 console at Amazon right now amazon.com/dp/B0HJ6F8L6V?… amazon.com Nintendo Switch™ 2 –The Legend of Zelda™ – 40th Anniversary Edition 3:13 PM · Oct 29, 2026 · 76.7K Views 32 Replies · 4 Reposts · 57 Likes The console will now be available to order online at Walmart on November 6, with Target also offering the same date. Some lucky shoppers could also get the Zelda Switch 2 in-store, with The Shortcut readers sharing their personal accounts of getting the console at Walmart and helping each other out. If you’re willing to travel to your local store, Best Buy and Nintendo are holding in-store events on November 5 (though you’ll need a Warp Pipe Pass for Nintendo’s event). GameStop is also letting customers pre-order in-store.. We’ll still be tracking every retailer with our exclusive Zelda 40th anniversary Switch 2 restock tracker, which provides up-to-the-second information when the Zelda Switch 2 is in stock. If the console appears – which it might – our followers will still be the first to know. Up next: PS5 Pro restock: it’s available again, but you’re paying more than you should Subscribe Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.
Monte Carlo Launches Bayes, an AI Teammate That Fixes Production AI Agents and Their Data
The agent trust platform delivers self-improving agents, so enterprises can scale trust at the speed of AI SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 29, 2026 — Monte Carlo has launched Bayes, an AI teammate that brings its platform capabilities into a single system to autonomously detect, troubleshoot, and fix issues across agents and the data they run on. […]
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is Getting New Game+ Six Years After Release
Assassin's Creed Valhalla launched all the way back in November 2020, but Ubisoft just announced that it's getting its own New Game+ mode.
Southold Wants Feedback from Local Businesses
The Southold Town Economic Development Committee launched its first Annual Business Survey this week, asking all local business owners—from agriculture and marine trades to retail and hospitality—to provide critical feedback that will shape the town's economic policy for years to come. Take the Survey The Economic Development Committee (EDC) was created by the town in
WECT NEWS NOW: Novant Health launches virtual clinic for men’s sexual health
Novant Health has launched a telehealth clinic focused on men’s sexual health, and the clinic’s lead physician said it is open to men 18 and older.
Apple knows the iPad mini market, but internet unimpressed by 60Hz
Apple yesterday officially launched what it describes as “the biggest update ever” to the iPad mini, featuring an OLED screen...
Clemson Rural Health graduates first cohort of Protein Rx participants
Clemson Rural Health (CRH) launched Protein Rx, a first-of-its-kind program focused on addressing malnutrition in adults through protein prescriptions and
Who Controls Enterprise AI Agents? Data Platform Vendors Race to Provide the Answer
AI agents are everywhere. Every other news story is related somehow to AI agents. As more companies are starting to use AI agents, keeping track of what they’re doing isn’t so straightforward. Dataiku launched Agent Management in September, and Oracle spent part of its AI World conference in October talking about how businesses can keep […]
AI Teammates Launches Ongoing AI Implementation Program for Mid-Market Business Owners
Program builds a working AI system in the first 6 weeks, then continues as an ongoing operating partnership for owners of $1M to $20M businessesSilicon Valley, California--(Newsfile Corp. - November 4, 2026) - AI Teammates, founded by Alice Y. Chen, has launched the AI Architecture Method, a structured implementation program that builds and operates AI systems on behalf of business owners rather than training them to build their own.Image Credit: AI TeammatesTo view an enhanced version of this..
Netflix reportedly offered Microsoft $500 million to license Xbox games for adaptations.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and team countered by asking for $800 million, and Netflix has pulled its offer, Puck reports in an article discussing the new leadership at Netflix. Xbox launched an “XP” division this month that will work on adaptations of its games, and Xbox is already working with Netflix on a Diablo animated series. [Link: The Peter Rice Playbook & Elon's Skydance Motive | https://puck.news/newsletter_content/what-im-hearing-the-peter-rice-playbook-elons-skydance-motive/ | Puck]
MSG Entertainment Paid New Legal Chief $2.6M in First Three Months
Allen Lo, the former Meta deputy general counsel, took over as MSG Entertainment's chief legal officer in March, months before the company was hit with litigation over a massive data breach and launched a defamation suit against Wired.
WECT NEWS NOW: Novant Health launches virtual clinic for men’s sexual health
Novant Health has launched a telehealth clinic focused on men’s sexual health, and the clinic’s lead physician said it is open to men 18 and older.
Phantom Blade Zero Draws 700,000+ Steam Players Within 24 Hours of Launch
Phantom Blade Zero launched on Steam on October 29, 2026, and within 9 hours of launch had already cracked 500,000 concurrent players on Steam, according to SteamDB, with that number continuing to rise until it hit 723,876 around 12 hours after the game's launch before declining and rocketing up...
WECT NEWS NOW: Novant Health launches virtual clinic for men’s sexual health
Novant Health has launched a telehealth clinic focused on men’s sexual health, and the clinic’s lead physician said it is open to men 18 and older.
Phantom Blade Zero made $223M on Steam and PS5 in five days
Phantom Blade Zero was always going to be a hit. We’ve been banging on about it for months now. Well, the results are in, and Phantom Blade Zero has indeed been a hit. Yesterday, S-Game reported that Phantom Blade Zero has sold 4M copies. As of this morning, our estimates show that Phantom Blade Zero has generated $223M via 4.3M copies sold across Steam (3.1M) and PlayStation (1.2M). This instantly makes Phantom Blade Zero this year’s #10 new 2026 game by premium revenue across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation – and without an Xbox release to boot. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Combined, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong account for 55% of Phantom Blade Zero’s copies sold – 56% of copies on Steam and 50% on PlayStation. But revenue is slightly different. Phantom Blade Zero actually made more revenue outside of China However, due to regional pricing, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong account for a lower share of revenue, 45%. The three countries account for 40% of Phantom Blade Zero’s revenue on PlayStation, and 47% on Steam. This is due to regional pricing, which you can easily check in our platform: Using the $59.99 USD base price as a starting point, we can see that Phantom Blade Zero costs the equivalent of $40.31 in China (-32.8% of the US price) and $41.80 in Hong Kong (-30.3%). So while Chinese culture is at the heart of Phantom Blade Zero (in terms of theme and player base), it’s actually making more money in non-China markets. In fact, markets outside of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan account for $123M in Phantom Blade Zero revenues via 2M copies. Even when we remove revenues from these markets from the analysis, Phantom Blade Zero remains a top 20 new 2026 title by revenue across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe In other words, Phantom Blade Zero is a global hit. It’s not all China – or even majority China, when it comes to revenues. The China spring board helped, but a successful State of Play and – more importantly – positive reviews helped this one land in other markets. Quality sells. China was hyped from the start, but Western players needed more convincing As we wrote back in August, China was always going to show up early for Phantom Blade Zero. Our daily Steam revenue data shows just that, and we can see when S-Game’s banging RPG won over players outside of China: On the day Phantom Blade Zero’s Steam pre-order button went live in mid-August, China accounted for nearly 70% of Phantom Blade Zero’s Steam revenue. The shares hovered around 68% throughout August. This is the hometown-hero effect we’ve covered in the past, with the home market committing first – almost sight unseen – on national pride and a lush-looking trailer alone. Then things get even more interesting. Following the State of Play on August 18, US daily revenue more than doubled (from $72K to $146K), China’s daily take nearly quadrupled ($237K to $892K), and the rest of the world’s revenues also more than doubled. As China spiked so much harder than the others, its share of revenue hardly moved, holding at around 68%. So the by-all-counts-awesome State of Play got non-China markets and the West interested (you can see daily spend jump), but it didn’t move the needle for overall revenue shares. Positive reviews were the Western tipping point. US daily revenue went from $106K on October 25 to $230K when the embargo lifted on the 26th, to $463K on the 27th, to $899K on the 28th. So nearly 8.5x more revenue in four days, boosted by the positive reviews and subsequent word of mouth. When Phantom Blade Zero launched on the 29th, things hit critical mass. On launch day, the US and the rest of the world combined out-earned China for the first time in Phantom Blade Zero’s whole pre-order history. You can see this unfolding pretty nicely in the revenue shifting shares, too. China’s lifetime revenue share sat at 68% in August and was still 65% as late as October 25th, but it dropped to 45% by November 2. Over that same period, the US nearly doubled its share from 10% to 18%, and the rest of the world climbed from 25% to 38%. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe That’s not to say that China sold less – far from it. The West and non-China markets just showed up later, won over by the reviews and word of mouth. However you look at it, Phantom Blade Zero has become one of this year’s highest-grossing premium games. Daily volume seems to be decelerating a bit (which is natural), so subscribe below for more updates on performance. Speaking of performance and deceleration… Gran Turismo 7 is one of PlayStation’s biggest earners While games like Ghost of Yotei, Helldivers 2, Astro Bot, Wolverine (2.7M now, by the way), and even Marathon and Saros tend to get all the headlines (we hold our hand up there, too!), there’s one PlayStation game from the past five years that’s earned more than all of these games: and it’s one that’s rarely talked about in enthusiast circles. Gran Turismo 7, which launched in March 2022, has sold 12.7M copies. This amounts to $840M in revenue, second only to Spider-Man 2’s $1.3B – if we’re talking PlayStation first-party for this generation. Gran Turismo 7 still brings in around 3M players every month (and between 400K and 700K active players per day). It’s also an evergreen seller every year. For example, Gran Turismo 7 generated: $189.7M in 2023 via 2.9M copies $161.3M in 2024 via 2.7M copies $119.1M in 2025 via 1.7M copies This year, Gran Turismo 7 has already sold 1.3M copies, generating $74.7M And there’s more laps to come Every December is comfortably GT7’s biggest month of the year (except launch), and the gap is widening there. December generated 2.1x a normal month in 2023, and by 2025 that had grown to 2.8x. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe As the typical months cool off with age, Christmas always holds strong, so the holiday period is becoming a bigger slice of Gran Turismo 7 yearly revenue. For Gran Turismo 7, the week around Christmas does 3x to 5x a typical week – three years running: Christmas week 2023: $14.7M (4.6x the year’s median week) Christmas week 2024: $9.3M (3.3x) Christmas week 2025: $8.5M (4.6x) These Christmas peaks happened at the full $59.99 (Gran Turismo 7 wasn’t discounted at all in December 2023 or December 2025). And although there was a discount late in December 2024, GT7’s peak week that year still happened at full price. You can really see why PlayStation hasn’t added this one to PlayStation Plus, eh? Say it after me: Subscriptions cannibalise premium revenue! On that note… Let’s take a quick look at how Gran Turismo 7 is doing versus its nearest competitor, Xbox console exclusive and long-running sim racer Forza Motorsport (released in 2023 as a reboot for the franchise, about 19 months after GT7). Forza Motorsport has sold around 1.3M copies across Xbox (75.4% for Xbox console and PC) and Steam (24.6%), grossing $89.9M across those platforms. Launch aligned, and on just PlayStation, Gran Turismo 7 had sold 10.2M copies, generating $676.1M, by that point. In other words, Gran Turismo 7 has sold the same number of copies this year as Forza Motorsport has sold since launch. When all is said and done, Gran Turismo 7’s 2026 revenues will have lapped Motorsport’s lifetime, too. It’s worth noting that Forza Motorsport was not released on last-gen consoles, and under a quarter of Gran Turismo 7’s revenue has come from PS4 consoles. Critically, Forza Motorsport is also on Game Pass, where nearly 7M players have accessed it. Meanwhile, the Forza Horizon series has been performing incredibly in terms of revenue. This year’s Forza Horizon 6 has generated $583.7M across Xbox and Steam despite Game Pass cannibalisation, and last year’s Forza Horizon 5 PlayStation port has generated $383.5M on PS5 alone. So two questions, then: How well is Forza Horizon 6 going to do when it launches on PS5 in January? Hit subscribe to get that in your inbox in January (which is in two months somehow!?) Subscribe 2. Open-world arcade Gran Turismo when? Also, if you like arcade racers, go and play Star Wars Galactic Racer. It rules. Like GOTY material, seriously. The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]
Shark science and conservation magazine launched by Living Sharks Museum
Living Sharks Magazine to advocate for sharks through contributions by citizens, researchers and conservationists alike
Donny Osmond to bring \'Crazy Horses\' tour to Lancaster
Donny Osmond recently launched a Vegas residency, but you don't have to fly to Sin City to see him.
Squish, stretch, sell: Michiana 8th grader turns custom toy business into viral hit
Lexi Long launched Slime & Squish to fund a class trip to D.C. — now her creations have garnered millions of views online.
Scientists launch probe into sudden loss of bioluminescence in Vieques’ Mosquito Bay
By THE STAR STAFFScientists have launched a field investigation into the unexplained disappearance of bioluminescence in Mosquito Bay, Vieques, after the lagoon began showing signs of ecological change earlier this year, raising concerns about the health of one of Puerto Rico’s most renowned natural attractions.The Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust provided the information.Researchers say that in September 2026, the lagoon experienced a sharp decline in populations of Pyrodinium
XBOX just launched one of the greatest gaming handheld bundles I've ever seen
A lot of people are going to buy a gaming handheld or Windows PC for the holidays. Microsoft's latest promotion throws in more than $500 worth of games for free.
‘It’s going stronger and stronger all the time’: WXPN’s ‘World Cafe’ is celebrating 35 years on the air
Raina Douris has been host since 2019 of the music and interview show David Dye launched in 1991. It's now heard on over 300 stations and reaches over a million listeners each week.
Instagram Launches Apple TV App With Reels and More
Instagram is now available on the Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows via the platform to Apple's streaming device for the first time. The Instagram app for Apple TV lets users watch content from their favorite creators, discover videos, and resume watching across devices. Instagram describes the app as a way to watch together with friends and family, extending its video experience to the television. The app appears to have launched on October 23.
DASSH and Natural England Partner to Advance Marine Citizen Science Network
DASSH and Natural England have launched a partnership to develop a Marine Citizen Science Hub and bursary scheme, strengthening community-led ocean monitoring and connecting citizen science data to marine conservation and environmental management priorities across England.
Signant Health unveils SignalSpace for clinical trials
Signant Health has launched Signant SignalSpace, a centralised environment for clinical trial data and workflows.
PAVS Subsidiary 2Lab3 Launches AniMano+, an AI-Native Digital Entertainment Streaming Platform, on the Apple App Store
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / November 4, 2026 / Paranovus Entertainment Technology Ltd. NASDAQ:PAVS ("PAVS" or the "Company") today announced that its subsidiary, 2Lab3, launched AniMano+, an AI-native, vertical-first short-form dramas and animation streaming app, on the Apple App Store on Octo…
Meta has a new AI pet app called Waddle World
Meta has launched a new app called Waddle World, which essentially looks like a Tamagotchi clone, but with AI.
Business Beat : Thurston Woods offers financial incentives to fill multiple positions
STURGIS, MI (WTVB) - Thurston Woods Village, a faith-based retirement community in Sturgis, has launched a maj...
Business Briefcase: Open-air downtown farm market continues
SHENANDOAH — Schuylkill County’s longest running seasonal outdoor downtown farm market continues its popular run 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Fridays through November along the east side of the first block of South Main Street. Launched in t…
PAVS Subsidiary 2Lab3 Launches AniMano+, an AI-Native Digital Entertainment Streaming Platform, on the Apple App Store
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / November 4, 2026 / (NASDAQ:PAVS) ("PAVS" or the "Company") today announced that its subsidiary, 2Lab3, launched AniMano+, an AI-native, vertical-first short-form dramas and animation streaming app, on the Apple App Store on October 23, 2026.AniMano+ combines storytelling and creative expertise with AI-enabled content production capabilities to develop entertainment for global audiences.
ESMO: Roche touts ‘convincing’ phase 3 KRAS data after win over rivals
Roche has shed more light on its investigational KRAS G12C inhibitor's phase 3 victory over Amgen’s Lumakras and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Krazati. The open-label Krascendo 1 trial enrolled 338 people with previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients who had already received a KRAS G12C inhibitor or pan-KRAS/RAS inhibitor were excluded from the trial. Participants received either divarasib once daily, Lumakras once daily or Krazati twice daily. Roche announced back in July that divarasib had demonstrated statistically significant improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), meeting the trial’s primary and key secondary endpoints. But the Swiss pharma had been holding back the detailed data until now. At the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Madrid, Roche revealed that median OS for the 167 patients who received divarasib was 17.7 months, compared to 12 months for the 171 patients who received Lumakras or Krazati. The benefit was similarly clear when it came to median PFS, which stood at 9.8 months versus 5.7 months, respectively. A total of 44% of patients receiving divarasib were alive without disease progression at one year, compared to 24% of the control group, according to Roche’s presentation. It was a similar story for the objective response rate, which came in at 58% for divarasib versus 32% for the control group, while median duration of response was 11.9 months versus 6.9 months. Stefan Frings, M.D., Ph.D., deputy chief medical officer at Roche Pharma, told Fierce that the data made for a “very comprehensive, strong package, which should be convincing to health authorities.” “It’s an important advance for patients with lung cancer,” Frings said in an interview at a Madrid hotel during the conference. “It's a second-line setting, and patients who receive divarasib benefit compared to the current first-generation KRAS G12C inhibitors by having far longer overall survival,” he continued. “They live longer. They have better progression-free survival, better response rates, and with a safety profile which is—if [anything]—even better,” he said. According to Roche, 4.8% of patients receiving divarasib discontinued treatment due to treatment-related adverse events, compared to 11.7% in the control group. Serious treatment-related adverse events were also less common with divarasib, at 7.8% versus 15.2%. Roche’s confidence in divarasib had been building even before this phase 3 success. The candidate had already shown better potency and selectivity than the incumbent KRAS G12C inhibitors Krazati and Lumakras in preclinical tests. After cross-trial comparisons suggested that the edge translated into better clinical outcomes, Roche axed a study comparing divarasib to the chemotherapy docetaxel and went toe-to-toe with Lumakras and Krazati. “We designed the drug on purpose with higher potency and better selectivity,” Frings explained. “So, based on preclinical models, we clearly knew it would be superior to the first generation.” “It’s honestly not so frequent that pharma companies go head-to-head,” he added. “But if you want to make a point, if you want to convince payers, prescribers and patients … then a head-to-head win is rather rewarding.” While Amgen and BMS reached the regulatory finish line first for KRAS G12C-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC in 2021 and 2022, respectively, they have struggled to capitalize on their head start. Krazati brought in $55 million for BMS in the second quarter, while Lumakras delivered $111 million to Amgen. For its part, Roche is aiming for peak divarasib sales of 1 billion to 2 billion Swiss francs ($1.2 billion to $2.5 billion), according to Frings. The Big Pharma is currently recruiting patients into a phase 3 trial comparing divarasib plus Keytruda against Keytruda plus chemotherapy in previously untreated advanced or metastatic nonsquamous KRAS G12C-mutated NSCLC. Roche has previously suggested that sales in metastatic disease would account for most of the forecast. Frings was tight-lipped on the exact timeline for a regulatory filing but said the Swiss pharma is “certainly keen to get this to as many patients as possible around the world.” Roche has more RAS drugs coming up behind divarasib. The pharma has already launched phase 1 trials of a pan-RAS inhibitor called RG6505 and a KRAS G12D inhibitor dubbed RG6620 in solid tumors. Roche’s partner Chugai Pharmaceutical is also testing a pan-KRAS inhibitor called AUBE00. Roche has made a “deliberate effort” to test a range of RAS drugs, Frings said. “If you have many rare mutations and you are scrambling to find sufficient patients, a pan-RAS inhibitor makes a lot of sense,” he explained.
Just Got an iPhone Duo? Try These Features First
Apple's iPhone Duo launched on Friday, October 23 in markets around the world. Keep reading if you're the lucky owner of Apple's first foldable iPhone. Whether you're upgrading from an older iPhone or completely new to Apple, this guide will help you get the most out of your new device.