Chinese-made medical devices are found in almost every corner of the medical ecosystem, from hospitals to clinics, and the government is getting more concerned.

Your insurance needs change over time. The policies that work for a single, 20-something professional renting an apartment with three roommates may be completely wrong for the same person after marriage, babies, and a cozy mortgage in a good school district.If youre struggling to determine how your coverage should change over time, the following guidelines can help.Auto insurance: Follow the bell curveBasic car insurance offers liability coverage, in case you cause an accident that injures a third party or damages their property. This is the kind of insurance that nearly every state in the nation requires drivers to carry. While liability coverage protects your finances if you cause an accident, its legally mandated because it offers protection for accident victims.But drivers can also purchase full coverage car insurance. This typically includes collision coverage, which pays for damages from a collision that doesnt include another vehicle (such as running into a tree), and comprehensive coverage, which pays to repair or replace your car if its damaged by something other than an accident, such as extreme weather or theft.Deciding how much auto insurance you need can feel overwhelming, especially considering the high cost of car insurance coverage. While all drivers must carry no less than the minimum required liability insuranceand should also consider increasing the liability limits to further protect themselves and othersit can be difficult to figure out if you need full coverage or other optional add-ons.To help you figure out your changing need for auto insurance coverage, think of this kind of insurance as a bell curve that corresponds with age.Young driversYoung drivers pay the highest premiums of any age demographicsince these wet-behind-the-wheel motorists are the most likely to get into accidents. That means purchasing full coverage when youre young is going to cost a pretty penny.In addition, teens and 20-somethings are more likely to be driving beater cars. (No, your cousins 1992 Buick Le Sabre is not vintage even if it does qualify for historic plates.) These vehicles have low actual cash values, which means a minor fender bender could render it a total loss.In other words, if your vehicles cash value is lower than the cost of your favorite Starbucks order, theres no reason to purchase collision and comprehensive coverage.Midlife motoristsThe auto insurance calculation changes as you hit your 30s and beyond. To start, the cost of auto insurance starts to go down for most middle-age drivers, provided they have a clean driving record.Midlife also represents your prime earning years, as well as the time youre most likely to be starting a family. Not only does that mean the interior of your vehicle will be permanently covered in a thin layer of crushed Goldfish crackers, but youre also more likely to be driving a car that is worth the cost of fixing.In other words, you have more to lose financially as a midlife driver than you did while you were still rocking the Le Sabre. That means carrying higher levels of coverage makes more sense in midlife than it did in your 20s.Seniors on the roadSince older drivers tend to have the most experience and are least likely to make impulsive driving decisions, they enjoy the least expensive auto insurance of any age group. Seniors are also more likely to have a higher net worth and easier access to cash, which means theyre in a better position to pay out of pocket for a car repair (or even replacement) after a collision.All of which is to say that most senior drivers have a lower need for auto insurance coverage than their middle-age counterparts.Adjust your deductiblesYour insurance deductible is the amount of money youre responsible for paying before the insurance coverage kicks in to pay for the rest. Nearly every type of insurance has a deductible, from health insurance to auto insurance to homeowners, renters, umbrella, and business insurance. And for each type of insurance you carry, you need to be prepared to pay the deductible if you make a claim.But insurance policyholders have some control over the size of their deductible. You can lower your deductiblemeaning youd pay less before your insurance company has to open its own wallet when you make a claimby paying a higher premium. You can also lower your monthly premium by increasing your deductible.Typically, most people will opt for the higher premium and lower deductible when they are young, since dealing with a monthly premium cost thats a little higher is easier than keeping a spare $1,000 (or more) kicking around in case of an emergency.But as you age, you are likely to become more financially settled, which includes having a more robust emergency fund. Once youre in a place where you can afford a higher deductible, you can lower your premiumwhich reduces your monthly outflow.Since we can all be victims of set-it-and-forget-it thinking, it can be easy to forget to check the deductible levels on long-standing insurance policies. But theres no need to pay your insurance company a higher premium when you can easily afford a higher deductible.Self-insuranceJust as your financial stability can help you outgrow the need for a low deductible, increasing wealth may also allow you to self-insure instead of relying on insurance policies.With this strategy, which is similar to creating an emergency fund, you set money aside to use in case of an unexpected loss, rather than paying a premium to an insurance company to assume the risk for you.If you dont experience a loss, self-insurance saves you money, since youre not out the cost of premiums and you still have the full pot of self-insurance money available to you. Additionally, you can potentially invest your self-insurance moneyas long as its in an investment that you can liquidate in a hurryand let the money grow for you.Self-insurance can be a risky strategy for any kind of serious financial loss, such as liability, flooding, or healthcare. But depending on your financial situation and assets, you may choose to self-insure for things like long-term care or full-coverage auto insurance.Know your insurance needsRecognizing how your coverage needs change can help you get the insurance you need while saving money. For auto insurance, remember that your coverage level will probably look like a bell curve, with younger and senior drivers purchasing lower levels of coverage while middle-age drivers go for more comprehensive coverage.For all of your insurance policies, remember that your ability to afford a higher deductible as you gain more financial stability means you can reduce your premium. And a higher level of wealth can open up the possibility of self-insurance for some types of hazards.

Police in Munich are investigating a mystery: More than 1,000 stickers were put on gravestones and wooden crosses at three cemeteries in the German city, without any indication of where they came from or why.The 53.5-centimeter (1.951.2-inch) stickers are printed with a QR code, that, when scanned, shows the name of the person buried in the grave and its location in the cemetery but nothing else.We havent found any pattern behind this yet. The stickers were put both on decades-old gravestones and very new graves that so far only have a wooden cross, police spokesperson Christian Drexler told The Associated Press on Wednesday.People who have witnessed anybody putting the stickers on the graves are asked to reach out to the respective cemeterys administration, Drexler said.The stickers surfaced in recent days at the Waldfriedhof, Sendlinger Friedhof and Friedhof Solln cemeteries.Police are not only trying to find out who is behind the stickers, but are also investigating property damage, because the gravestones were partially damaged and discolored when the stickers were removed.

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Apple has underplayed the introduction of its first in-house cellular modem chip in the iPhone 16e, but future versions could be incorporated into the A-series chip, and even M-Series down the road.The C1 chip is speculated to eventually be folded into A- and M-series SoCs.The latest iPhone model includes a unique piece of tech: the Apple-designed C1 chip to handle cellular communication, replacing the usual Qualcomm cellular modem. Currently seen as simply a way to avoid paying Qualcomm fees for similar functionality, the C1 may herald some big changes to future iPhones and other devices including Macs.A new report from Bloomberg speculates that the technology of the C1 will later be integrated onto Apple's System-on-Chip (SoC) main processors. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Selfies on iCloud help capture a gang behind a series of burglaries, iPad thefts, and a UK crime spree make up this week's Apple Crime Blotter.Man in handcuffs (Source: Pixabay)The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series, looking at the world of Apple-related crime. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

A planned repeal of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) mandates followed by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is likely inbound along with broad implications for architects working on public buildings and other large-scale projects that require federal funding.This wasannounced as one of a slew of executive orders signed byPresident Trumpthat affect the AEC industry. The change to the 50-year-old standard was later announced last weekend as aninterim rule that will help in the former's aims of "Unleashing American Energy." This could both quicken the permitting process while leaving architects more prone to lawsuits and lengthy defenses of their designs in ecologically sensitive areas. (h/t Vox).

Hades II just received its second major update as part of its early access development, which was a great excuse for me to jump back in. Since its initial release, Ive logged more than 30 hours and actually held myself back from playing much more I dont want to get tired of the game before it hits 1.0 but with the new update, I wanted to see whats new and try to beat the new final boss on my very first run.Sadly, I havent even been able to see what the boss is yet. I did make it to the updates new region, but I got destroyed by a dangerous miniboss. Still, Ive still been really impressed with what Supergiant Games has added since May to make whats already a very good game even better.Image: Supergiant GamesThe big additions are impressive. Hades II initially launched with six regions four for an Underworld route and two for a surface route and with each major update, Supergiant has added a new region with new enemies, characters, and music to round out that surface route.The first major update, which came out in October, added the games first new region, Mount Olympus, and it feels as epic as Mount Olympus should. It has grand architecture, fearsome enemies, and a fiery boss fight against Prometheus, all backed by an incredible orchestral soundtrack. (Ive spent more time than Id like to admit listening to this song on loop.)That update also added the games sixth and final weapon a witch-y, Hades-style interpretation of a mech suit. Seriously: your primary attack is punching baddies with giant fists while your special attack shoots projectiles that home in on nearby targets. You also have cool wings.Image: Supergiant GamesIn the second major update, theres a new region and boss, too, but Ive also noticed a lot of smaller details that feel just as impactful. For example, the Altar of Ashes, a place where you pick from various passive effects in the form of arcana cards that can help your runs, got a visual redesign to add intricately-illustrated custom cards. (One of them features Theseus and the Minotaur, who you may remember as bosses from the first Hades, in thongs, lol.) I also spotted a charming new portrait for Melino, the games protagonist, that added some levity to a character thats usually pretty serious.And throughout the major updates and many smaller patches, Supergiant has rebalanced and changed all sorts of mechanics and details in ways that I can honestly barely begin to keep track of. The studio isnt afraid to take the hatchet to things that need to go, too; with this most recent patch, Supergiant scrapped an entire mechanic tied to gathering.Overall, the changes have made the game feel better to play over time and browsing patch notes, Supergiant uses an emoji to indicate which changes are inspired by community feedback, which I think is a good way to acknowledge how players are contributing to the game, which is one of the main benefits of this type of early access release. (I should also acknowledge that Hades II has the advantage of building from the already-great foundation of the first Hades.)RelatedHades II might not launch in 1.0 for a long time. Supergiant hasnt committed to a timeframe for that, and its still working on a third major update thats set to release some months from now. Because of the success of Supergiants other games, like Bastion and Transistor, the studio probably doesnt need to rush.But given how its treated Hades IIs early access so far, Im fine if Supergiant takes its time. Even though Hades II isnt finished, I have no qualms about recommending the game to anyone thats interested. And jumping in now lets you experience just how much an already-great game can improve over time.See More:

Last years M3 MacBook Airs.Apple is readying its MacBook Air line for an update to M4 chips in March, according to Bloombergs Mark Gurman in todays Power On newsletter. With the slim laptops spec bump, the MacBook lines M4 transition will be complete.Gurman didnt provide timing beyond that the laptops are coming next month, but as usual before it launches a product, Apple is preparing its marketing, sales and retail teams for the debut and letting its retail stock of the laptops clear out. Both the 13-inch and 15-inch models are expected to come at the same time, like last year.Since the Apple Silicon transition, the MacBook Airs have largely shared specs with the low-end MacBook Pro, just packed into a slimmer laptop with omissions like fewer ports and no cooling fan. The base model 14-inch Pro starts with 10-core CPUs and 10-core GPUs and feature 16GB of RAM you can get a sense of that configurations performance from our review of the base M4 MacBook Pro. Ideally, the new Air models will also get the Pros key upgrade of being able to simultaneously connect to two external displays with the lid open.That leaves only the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, which are still M2-generation machines, without M4 chips. Gurman has pegged the Mac Studios M4 bump for between March and June and the Mac Pros anywhere from June to this fall.