Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA

Spotify on Wednesday upgraded its AI DJ feature — available to Premium subscribers — with a handful of new features, including the ability to send in your requests by typing, not just using voice commands.  The feature works with both English and Spanish requests, as Spotify’s Spanish-language DJ, called DJ Livi, now accepts music requests.  The AI DJ feature was updated earlier this year to accept voice requests, instead of only playing tunes Spotify thinks that you’ll like. However, that feature was only available to the English-language AI DJ until today. Texting with an AI assistant is now a common…

(Reuters) -Eli Lilly’s experimental weight-loss pill showed superior blood sugar control in diabetic patients across two late-stage trials, the company said on Wednesday, as it seeks to widen its lead in the rapidly growing market for GLP-1 drugs.The oral drug, orforglipron, is designed to mimic the appetite-suppressing GLP-1 hormone targeted by the company’s blockbuster injection tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.Lilly and its Danish rival Novo Nordisk, market leaders with their injectable drugs, are racing to launch oral weight-loss treatments, which still require approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.In one of the studies, Lilly’s pill…

(Reuters) -Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk and Omeros have signed a licensing deal worth up to $2.1 billion for the U.S.-based company’s experimental drug, which is being developed for rare blood and kidney disorders, they said on Wednesday.Omeros shares jumped threefold to $12.32 in premarket trading.As part of the agreement, Novo gains exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize Omeros’ drug zaltenibart, designed to inhibit MASP-3 — a protein that acts as a key activator of the alternative pathway of complement.The complement pathway is a system of proteins in the blood that enhances the immune system’s ability to fight infections.Omeros is…

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday that ongoing violence in the capital of Haiti has forced it to permanently close its Port-au-Prince emergency care center, which had been a key lifeline in a city now 90% controlled by gangs.More than 60% of the capital’s health facilities, including Haiti’s general hospital, are now shuttered or non-functioning because of the surge in gang violence.The Doctors Without Borders emergency center in the neighborhood of Turgeau had temporarily closed in March 2025 after armed men opened fire on four of the organization’s vehicles that were evacuating staff from the center. Some…

The final countdown of the final flash sale is here. Only three days remain to save up to $624 on your TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 pass before prices increase on Friday, October 17 at 11:59 p.m. PT. From October 27–29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, Disrupt 2025 will bring together 10,000+ founders, investors, and operators for three days of ideas, dealmaking, and discovery across more than 200 sessions, 250+ speakers, and 300+ exhibiting startups building what’s next. Register now to save up to $624 on your pass before this week ends. Got a group? Save up to 30% on group passes.…

(Reuters) -Colorado has joined a new bipartisan alliance of U.S. governors with 14 other states, aimed at improving public health coordination and emergency preparedness, its governor Jared Polis said on Wednesday.The alliance will serve as a hub for governors and public health officials to share best practices, exchange data and collaborate on emergency response, vaccine policy and other technical issues.Besides Colorado, the alliance includes California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Guam.”With regular uncertainty and less resources from Washington D.C., governors are on the front lines of public health.…

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — They will be treated for malnutrition, lack of sunlight and the trauma of wearing leg chains for months. They suffer from unexplained pain and unresolved emotions, and they will have to relearn how to make everyday decisions as simple as when to use the bathroom.The last 20 living hostages released by Hamas are beginning a difficult path to recovery that will also include rebuilding a sense of control over their lives, according to Israeli health officials. Along the way, each one will be accompanied by a team of doctors, nurses, specialists and social workers to…

By Maggie Fick and Dan LevineLONDON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Drugmaker Novo Nordisk has begun a round of layoffs in its most important market, the United States, with affected staff set to be notified between this week and next, according to an email and two sources familiar with the matter.The time-frame for the layoffs has not previously been reported. The move comes as the Danish company behind popular weight-loss drug Wegovy looks to cut jobs globally and reduce costs in a battle with U.S. rival Eli Lilly.U.S. layoffs began on Tuesday and will continue until late next week, according to a schedule…

Sound waves at frequencies above the threshold for human hearing are routinely used in medical care. Also known as ultrasound, these sound waves can help clinicians diagnose and monitor disease, and can also provide first glimpses of your newest family members.And now, patients with conditions ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s may soon benefit from recent advances in this technology.I am a biomedical engineer who studies how focused ultrasound – the concentration of sound energy into a specific volume – can be fine-tuned to treat various conditions. Over the past few years, this technology has seen significant growth…

(This is an excerpt of the Health Rounds newsletter, where we present latest medical studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)By Nancy Lapid(Reuters) -Researchers have converted a blood type A kidney to a blood type O kidney and successfully transplanted it, they reported in Nature Biomedical Engineering, an advance that could reduce wait times for new organs and save lives.Type O patients, who account for more than half of those on kidney waiting lists, can only receive organs from donors with type O blood, yet type O kidneys are often given to others because they are universally compatible. As a result, type…