23andme for only $99 today only • Hacker News Board

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#161

Post by dejb » Sat, Apr 24, 2010, 3:52 AM UTC

teye wrote: post #155

infinite8s wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except their product can only be accessed through their website as a webapp.

Pretty sure you're able to download your raw data. (Just bought this a couple weeks ago... waiting for my analysis.)

Yes you can download it and then you can use a tool like Promethease to link provide a report on how your SNPs match up with various research on SNPedia. It's a bit rough but it certainly has lots more info than the reports from 23andme.

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#162

Post by dejb » Sat, Apr 24, 2010, 4:01 AM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #122

lzell wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like a business idea, send out 'surveys' and analyze the envelope when it's returned. Sell the data to insurance co. Who wants in?

That's really evil but pretty clever. Why don't you mail me your proposal ;) ?

Of course the next step would be to create clones or use their genes in breeding programs. Hard to see exactly where the monetisation would come from. Probably evil as guess.

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#163

Post by huhtenberg » Sat, Apr 24, 2010, 4:51 AM UTC

Tawheed wrote: post #104

huhtenberg wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They require no verifiable personal information. You can send your spit in as John Doe.

False. Unless they are taking my order over the phone which I block through caller id and take my payment in CASH and send my results to a random drop location, it is not anonymous at all.

You can be buying the kit as a gift, and the person ending up using the kit can specify whatever name when "claiming" the kit on their website. There are no requirements for this name to be authentic and valid.

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#164

Post by c00p3r » Sat, Apr 24, 2010, 5:31 AM UTC

Yeah. We're now collecting your data (DNA) to resell it in the future. The storage and processing power are really cheap and will become even cheaper, while demand for a DNA information in digital form will rise. Add to this the launch fast and evolve mantra, plus being backed by google's money and (probably) technology and you got a very promising business. Data is money. There is why facebook is still alive.

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#165

Post by friendstock » Sat, Apr 24, 2010, 5:41 AM UTC

I think the sale is over.... unless there is a link to it?

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#166

Post by timcederman » Sat, Apr 24, 2010, 7:28 AM UTC

mdolon wrote: post #159

I wish I had an identical twin so we could split the costs.

I was going to make a facetious comment about this earlier, but instead I did actually email my twin and we went halves on a kit.

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#167

Post by eps » Sat, Apr 24, 2010, 8:30 AM UTC

jfornear wrote: post #28

huhtenberg wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They require no verifiable personal information. You can send your spit in as John Doe.

What happens when John Doe becomes the suspect in a murder? ;) EDIT: In all seriousness, as this technology becomes cheaper and more advanced/insightful, I can imagine a future where these tests are required by the government in the name of cost efficiency. Then it will become a matter of trusting the government to guard and use our information responsibly...

You may want to see the Gattaca movie ;)

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#168

Post by lionhearted » Sat, Apr 24, 2010, 10:12 AM UTC

jamesbkel wrote: post #156

DrewHintz wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the deal is finished: http://twitter.com/23andMe/status/12732636102 It ended at midnight GMT which is also 5pm PDT, perhaps for the business day.

Certainly can't blame them for placing a limit, it's quite the deal. However, it was frustrating when I already had the $99 deal in my cart, then lost it because I didn't check out before 0 GMT.

Email them graciously, tell them you think they have a lovely service and that the deal is a steal, tell them you lost it right at checkout, and ask if they can take care of you. I'd bet they will, they seem like they're run by nice and smart people.

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#169

Post by khafra » Sat, Apr 24, 2010, 12:49 PM UTC

carbocation wrote: post #160

Human genetics research fellow here (well, it's one of my hats). For those of you who signed up for 23andMe, or who wanted to, can you explain your rationale to me?

I would've bought it for $99, but I didn't seem to have access to that deal. I hope I know sooner if it comes around again.

The reason is that I have an aunt who's really interested in genealogy. Genetically tracing her heritage back to Lucy seems like an awesome Christmas present; and quite a bit of the health-related stuff should be applicable to me too, if she shared all the data.

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#170

Post by ComputerGuru » Sat, Apr 24, 2010, 12:51 PM UTC

I'm surprised I'm the first to mention this here, am I really the only one that feels this way?

I don't want to know what diseases I could have. I'm happy living my life by the day and planning for a future that I'd love to have. I'd hate to discover I'm susceptible to x, y, and z; and that if I were to have a kid it would likely have a, b, c....

I'd rather jus live and let live. No need to worry about stuff that may not come to pass, and no need to brood about something even if it is, in the end, inevitable.