Sherlock Biosciences has received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA for a rapid COVID-19 test that uses CRISPR technology. This is the first FDA-authorized use of the gene-editing tool, which poses both massive potential and ethical issues.
Sherlock’s CRISPR SARS-CoV-2 test uses a CRISPR molecule to detect the genetic signature of the virus. If it finds the virus, the CRISPR enzyme is activated, and that releases a detectable signal. The kit, which uses a nasal swab or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimen, is designed for use in laboratories authorized to perform high complexity tests. While it’s considered a “rapid” test, Sherlock did not say how long it takes to process the results.
“Sherlock enables rapid identification of a single alteration in a DNA or RNA sequence in a single molecule,” said Sherlock Biosciences co-founder David Walt. “That precision, coupled with its capability to be deployed to multiplex over 100 targets or as a simple point-of-care system, will make it a critical addition to the arsenal of rapid diagnostics already being used to detect COVID-19.”
Sherlock says it is working to rapidly scale production and will share plans for kit distribution and availability in the coming weeks. The company is also working on another handheld test, similar to that of a home pregnancy test, to detect COVID-19.
Sherlock’s CRISPR test is one of a growing number of FDA EUAs issued recently to address the coronavirus pandemic. The FDA has given the fast-tracked approval to NASA’s ventilator design and Formlabs’ 3D-printable attachment that turns sleep apnea BiPAP machines into ventilators. We will likely see more EUAs in the coming weeks.
Qi wireless charging has become the de facto wireless charging standard for gadgets like phones, earbuds, and more. However, just this week, the NFC Forum approved a new low-power wireless charging specification to help make it easier to charge smaller gadgets or IoT devices.
The new standard is simply called the Wireless Charging Specification or WLC, and by using a 13.56 MHz base frequency, devices equipped with near-field communication (NFC) can send both data and power simultaneously to nearby NFC devices. Aside from being governed by two different organizational bodies, the main difference between NFC WLC and traditional Qi wireless charging is that while Qi wireless charging can support power transfer of up to 15 watts or more, WLC charging speeds top out at just 1-watt.
That means NFC WLC isn’t designed to help recharge a phone and won’t really compete with Qi wireless charging on larger devices, but could be used instead to charge things like NFC tags, security fobs, or even some Bluetooth headsets that are often too small or too cheap to feature support for Qi charging. On the flip side, because NFC is already used to facilitate a wide variety of payment systems including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and others, it may not require a huge investment from gadget makers to incorporate support for WLC into new devices.
Where things get a bit trickier is that while they rarely show up on spec sheets or a feature list, there are actually five different types of NFC tags used throughout the world, with certain tweaks and varying support depending on the location. For example, while public transportation in Japan uses NFC as a payment method, only NFC Type-3 tags are compatible with the Japanese Industrial Standard, which means devices made in other countries and then brought to Japan don’t always work properly when trying to pay for a subway or train ticket.
Currently, it’s unclear if WLC will be backward compatible with existing NFC-equipped devices, or WLC will require a new type of tag or simply something like a firmware update to enable WLC charging. Gizmodo has reached out to the NFC Forum for clarification, and we will update this story if we hear back.
WLC was originally proposed as a technical candidate back in early 2019, but had not been officially approved for use on retail devices until earlier this week. However, with the NFC Forum claiming that there are over two billion NFC-equipped devices in use today, getting a little extra functionality through the addition of wireless charging—even if it’s relatively slow wireless charging—remains a welcome addition.
On the back of AMD’s successful Ryzen Mobile 4000 series launch for consumer laptops, the company today launching its range of commercial processors from the same family. These processors are designed for the standard commercial verticals typically associated with company contracts, education deployments, medical use cases and any environment that requires a level of manageability across its workforce. The new AMD processors have up to eight of the latest Zen 2 cores, up to Vega 7 compute graphics, and are built on the latest TSMC 7nm process node technology.
Volvo plans to equip its vehicles with built-in LiDAR beginning in 2022. The automaker is working with Luminar and says its next generation Scalable Product Architecture (SPA2) vehicles will be hardware-ready. The cars won’t be fully self-driving, but it’s a step in that direction.
Luminar’s LiDAR will be available as a rooftop add-on. Customers will be able to opt into the Highway Pilot feature, which enables fully autonomous highway driving, once the feature is verified to be safe for specific geographic locations and conditions. Highway Pilot will use a combination of cameras, radars and back-up systems for steering, braking and battery power.
The two companies have worked together in the past, so the partnership isn’t entirely surprising. In 2018, they joined forces to help LiDAR better understand pedestrian activity. They are also exploring how LiDAR might improve future advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). In a press release, Volve said it may equip all future SPA2-based cars with a LiDAR sensor.
These days of all teleconferencing, all the time have prompted many a post filled with different techniques you can use to turn an old Android smartphone or iPhone into a webcam. Far be it from me to crap on a good hack, but, well, I don’t think most people need to fuss with a special app in order to webcam-ify a phone. Here’s why.
If you want to use your smartphone as a webcam, it’s because your laptop or desktop doesn’t have one or the one that it does have is broken. (If it’s the former, that’s strange: Where did you acquire this ancient, feature-light device?)
Thanks to the quarantine-induced run on webcams, it’s difficult, but not impossible, to get your hands on a decent webcam for your various virtual chats. That, and you’re probably pondering why you should pay extra for a camera when you have an old phone sitting around with a built-in camera works just fine. I get it. But.
Why not buy a cheap-ass webcam?
Realistically, it’s a lot easier to get a mediocre webcam that will plug into your computer via USB and require next to no extra setup on your part. It’s true that a lot of the baller models are sold out right now, but you can still find some $30-50 webcams that will do exactly what you need: namely, splash a moving image of your face inside your next video chat. They won’t make you look amazing, but does it really matter that much when everyone will probably be staring at an inch-by-inch box of your head in a 30-person video call?
I normally don’t advocate for the expensive solution when a free one exists—using your Android to act as a webcam for your device, for example—but in this case, buying a cheap webcam is easy AF. Heck, you can probably even eBay an older webcam for a less-than-new price. Toss $20 or $30 at this temporary problem caused by your newfound work-from-home life and you’ll be set until your quarantine lifts.
Forget apps that stream your phone’s signal as a “webcam”
If do you go the other route and try to use your Android as a webcam, for example, I don’t think it’s worth messing with apps like DroidCam, which is limited to 480p video for the free version. (Unless you buy the app for $5, which unlocks 720p recording)
Instead, why not just install the app for whatever video chat service you’re trying to access directly on your phone? Who needs a fancy “stream your phone as a webcam to your computer” app when you can just…install Zoom on your phone? You can then set your phone on your desk and point its rear-facing camera your way (or buy a mount that makes that process much easier, and which can then be repurposed to improve your photos in non-video chat scenarios and even with other devices).
The pitfalls to this technique are that you’re going to want to stay unmuted the entire time you’re in the chat (or use a video chat service that can automatically mute you when you’re not making audible noise.) Otherwise, you’ll have to use your phone’s crappier front-facing camera so you can tap mute on and off on the screen. If you’re just one tiny head in a tiny box in a gigantic group call sea of them, that’s not the biggest concern.
Don’t worry, you can still screen-share
“But wait,” you ask. “What if I have to present my laptop or desktop screen as part of the video chat? I should go through the annoying process of setting up my Android as a webcam then, right?”
Nah.
Here’s the genius move: dial into the meeting with whatever video chat app you’re using on your phone. That’s your mic and camera. Dial into the meeting again on your muted desktop or laptop, and that’s your screen-sharing device. Easy.
Is this more or less complicated than setting up an app like DroidCam? I would say it’s slightly easier and is going to give you higher-quality results, even though it’s going to require a little coordination on your part. Honestly, I’ve found that most people care more about the quality of a person’s mic in a video chat than what their face looks like. I can forgive ugly visuals; I can’t forgive someone sounding like they’re speaking through a bag of cotton balls.
Let’s recap
Instead of fussing with apps that let you turn your old phone into a webcam (which you likely have to pay for, and then fuss around with), I recommend:
Buying a super-cheap webcam
The easiest, but not cheapest solution. You don’t need something fancy if people just want to see your pretty face in a Zoom room full of 75 others. (Heck, you might not even need to enable video, period.) Take the money and time you’ve saved and rethink your audio setup. Here’s where you’ll want to spend your efforts, because nobody cares how you look if they can’t understand you.
Use the app for your video chat services + a tripod
Fire up your video conference, spin your phone around, set it on your desk (or on a tripod on your desk) and let ‘er rip. You don’t need a fancy webcam, even though you’ll wish you had an easier way to mute and unmute on your calls.
Use the app for your video chat services + dial into your meeting on your computer or laptop
This is the best of both worlds, if you ask me. Sure, you’re duplicating yourself in the video chat, but now you can share your screen on your desktop or laptop (and see what your phone’s camera sees, for any setup adjustments you need to make). You don’t need to fiddle with a fancy app—just sign in twice.
Of course, all this advice goes out the window if you’re trying to, say, layer a view of your webcam overtop your Twitch stream or something. Then, use all the apps you want—or wait for a quality webcam to come back in stock. I think this is the rare exception, however; for most people, your phone’s app should be sufficient for showing your face in meetings. You can use its rear-facing camera to look better (and watch everyone else on a secondary laptop or desktop that’s also in the call) or simply use its front-facing camera and deal with it. Easy as that.
It’s just a bit of genetic material wrapped in protein and fat. But the virus behind COVID-19 can wreak havoc deep inside human lungs when it triggers the immune system to go into overdrive.
