Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA

A raft of voice-based hardware devices have emerged, aimed at companionship, productivity, or personal growth. These include card-shaped devices from Plaud and Pocket; pendants from Friend, Limitless, and Taya; and a wristband from Bee, which is now part of Amazon. Now, two former Meta employees who worked on interface design have launched Sandbar, a startup that has created a ring called Stream for similar purposes. The company calls the ring “a mouse for voice” because it can take notes, help you interact with an AI assistant, and let you control music. Sandbar’s CEO, Mina Fahmi, has an extensive background in…

A raft of voice-based hardware devices have emerged, aimed at companionship, productivity, or personal growth. These include card-shaped devices from Plaud and Pocket; pendants from Friend, Limitless, and Taya; and a wristband from Bee, which is now part of Amazon. Now, two former Meta employees who worked on interface design have launched Sandbar, a startup that has created a ring called Stream for similar purposes. The company calls the ring “a mouse for voice” because it can take notes, help you interact with an AI assistant, and also let you control music. Sandbar’s CEO, Mina Fahmi, has an extensive background…

A raft of voice-based hardware devices have emerged, aimed at companionship, productivity, or personal growth. These include card-shaped devices from Plaud and Pocket; pendants from Friend, Limitless, and Taya; and a wristband from Bee, which is now part of Amazon. Now, two former Meta employees who worked on interface design have launched Sandbar, a startup that has created a ring called Stream for similar purposes. The company calls the ring “a mouse for voice” because it can take notes, help you interact with an AI assistant, and also let you control music. Sandbar’s CEO, Mina Fahmi, has an extensive background…

Tesla is facing a pivotal shareholder meeting.On November 6, the EV maker will hold its annual meeting, where investors will vote on issues concerning the company’s future direction and the performance of its CEO, Elon Musk.The meeting comes as the company navigates a year marked by political controversies and struggling sales. Tesla’s board also decided to exclude at least 11 shareholder proposals that focus on accountability and sustainability.Although Tesla shares have largely recovered from the losses experienced between March and August, and the end of the EV tax credit boosted third-quarter vehicle sales, many investors have questions regarding Musk’s leadership…

MONTCLAIR, New Jersey (AP) — On a sunny fall morning, children wearing helmets and backpacks gathered with their parents in Montclair, New Jersey, for a group bicycle ride to two local elementary schools. Volunteers in orange safety vests made sure everyone assembled in a neighborhood shopping area was ready before the riders set off on their 5-mile “bike bus” route.Every few blocks, more adults and kids on bikes joined in. Eventually, the group grew to over 350 people. Older students chatted with friends, while younger ones focused on pedaling. Cars along the way stopped to let the line of cyclists…

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk lowered its full-year profit forecast on Wednesday in an early blow to the Danish drugmaker’s new CEO amid a deep restructuring drive to claw back lost ground in a fierce obesity drug market battle.CEO Mike Doustdar, who took the helm in August, said the lower guidance was due to “the lower growth expectations for our GLP-1 treatments.””We aim to accelerate on all fronts to be able to compete better in dynamic and increasingly competitive markets,” Doustdar said in a statement.Novo Nordisk said it now expects full-year operating profit – measured in local currencies – growing…

(Corrects sales growth in first paragraph to 11%, not 15%, and corrects headline and first paragraph to say that was in line with forecasts, not exceeding)COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk on Wednesday reported third-quarter sales growth of 11%, in line with forecasts, as the Danish drugmaker’s new CEO pushes a deep restructuring drive to claw back lost ground in a fierce obesity drug market battle.The Danish company said it lowered its full-year profit forecast, while also lowering the top end of its full-year sales forecast range.The rise in sales in local currency terms, which has slowed sharply in the last…

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk on Wednesday reported third-quarter sales growth of 15%, beating forecasts in a boost to the Danish drugmaker’s new CEO amid a deep restructuring drive to claw back lost ground in a fierce obesity drug market battle.The Danish company said it lowered its full-year profit forecast, while also lowering the top end of its full-year sales forecast range.The rise in sales in local currency terms, which has slowed sharply in the last year as competition has risen from rival Eli Lilly and copycat treatments, compared with 11.4% growth expected by analysts in a company-compiled consensus.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNovo shot…

In Chinle, Arizona, financial distress caused by the government shutdown has led to the suspension of after-school programs, including some that students rely on for meals. Federal money makes up only a small part of most school budgets in the U.S. But at Chinle Unified School District — spread across 4,200 square miles (about 6,800 square kilometers) in the heart of Navajo Nation — half of the revenue comes from a single federal program, called Impact Aid. Most school districts rely largely on local property taxes to fund teacher salaries and building upgrades. But school districts like Chinle that include…

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — When summer heat comes to the Arara neighborhood in northern Rio, it lingers, baking the red brick and concrete that make up many of the buildings long after the sun has gone down. Luis Cassiano, who’s lived here more than 30 years, says he’s getting worried as heat waves become more frequent and fierce.In poor areas such as Arara, those who can afford air conditioning — Cassiano is one — can’t always count on it because of frequent power outages on an overloaded system. Cassiano gets some relief from the green roof he installed about…