Month: August 2017

Enlarge (credit: Apple)

"Let's meet at our place" is the greeting on Apple's invite to its fall event, which lands on September 12 this year. The presentation will be held in the newly constructed Steve Jobs Theater at Apple's new Cupertino headquarters. The theater was specifically designed to host Apple events, and what better way to christen the new space with what is expected to be a big iPhone debut.

Rumor has it that Apple could debut three new iPhone models at the event: an iPhone 7S, 7S Plus, and the showstopper iPhone 8.

Developing....

Enlarge (credit: Comcast)

Comcast has sued the state of Vermont to try to avoid a requirement to build 550 miles of new cable lines.

Comcast's lawsuit against the Vermont Public Utility Commission (VPUC) was filed Monday in US District Court in Vermont and challenges several provisions in the cable company's new 11-year permit to offer services in the state. One of the conditions in the permit says that "Comcast shall construct no less than 550 miles of line extensions into un-cabled areas during the [11-year] term."

Comcast would rather not do that. The company's court complaint says that Vermont is exceeding its authority under the federal Cable Act while also violating state law and Comcast's constitutional rights:

Enlarge / Watch out for that cow. (credit: Getty | Tim Graham)

The World Health Organization sets a list of medical conditions into well-used code called the “International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems,” or ICD for short. The official alphanumeric ciphers are used in medical records and insurance claims worldwide, noting the wide range of ailments and conditions a human may experience—everything from “tuberculosis” and “gastric ulcers” to “struck by orca” and “burn due to water skis on fire.”

The latter categories of unusual and puzzlingly specific conditions even inspired the 2014 book Struck by Orca: ICD-10 Illustrated.

But how often are these peculiar codes actually used? An insurance data company did the work to find out. The most bizarre ICD codes listed in the 2014 book, such as the title “struck by orca” were not used in the US in the last 12 months, which is both good and disappointing. But codes just slightly less bizarre were used—some quite a lot, such as W503: “accidental bite by another person.”