Short Takes – 9-5-24

Procurement: A Modest Proposal. StrategyPage.com article. Summary of the state of military jet-propelled UAVs. Pull quote: “Meanwhile Chinese manufacturers developed cheaper clones of Predator and Reaper and sold them, with or without weapons, to anyone who could pay. That destroyed much of the export market for Predators and Reapers. China and Russia are also developing jet-powered UAVs, with the same lack of success, so far, as the United States.”

Nearly undetectable card skimmer found at Southern California gas station. KTLA.com article. Pull quote: “The skimmer was attached to a gas pump card reader and PIN pad at an ARCO station in the 13500 block of Euclid Street in Garden Grove, that city’s police department shared on social media. The device was nearly identical to the real card reader behind it, and even included a sticker warning of a 35 cents “fee” that would be added to each transaction.” Includes photo of device.

Railroad Safety Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting. Federal Register FRA RSAC meeting notice. Summary: “FRA announces the sixty-seventh meeting of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC or Committee), a Federal Advisory Committee that provides advice and recommendations to FRA on railroad safety matters through a consensus process. This meeting of the RSAC will focus on efforts critical to railroad safety including safety improvements in the wake of the February 3, 2023, East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, electronic devices, remote control operations, and roadway worker protection.”

Medical Devices; Dental Devices; Classification of the Radiofrequency Toothbrush. Federal Register FDA final order. Summary: “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is classifying the radiofrequency toothbrush into class II (special controls). The special controls that apply to the device type are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the radiofrequency toothbrush's classification. We are taking this action because we have determined that classifying the device into class II (special controls) will provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device. We believe this action will also enhance patients' access to beneficial innovative devices.” Special controls include software risk analysis.

Nicotine analogues emerging in e-cigarettes to evade regulations. ChemistryWorld.com article. Pull quote: “However, Jabba points out that regulating such chemicals on an individual basis is unlikely to be effective. ‘If we regulate one chemical, then a similar chemical with similar function is being added, then we are chasing down that for another couple of decades,’ he says. ‘By the time the regulatory things catch up, we are kind of playing a whack-a-mole.’”