Hasta La Gadget!

Hansel and Gretel would have gladly given themselves over to death by hungry witch if it meant they could have spent their last days gorging on this incredible cotton candy house. More »

We know, we know. You were trying to get on with your online social life this morning, but Google+ was nowhere to be found. Looks like the social network is experiencing an outage today — here in the States at least. According to folks in the UK, things are moving a lot more swimmingly on that side of the pond. We’ve reached out to Google for a response. You’ll know more as soon as we do.

Update: Looks like everything’s back in working order. You can quit complaining about it on Facebook now.

Filed under: Google

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Are you a huge fan of the Battlestar Galactica series? Well, here is an officially licensed product for those who feel that they want to have that authoritative edge over the rest, in the form of the $49.99 Battlestar Galactica Clipboard. This lightweight and sturdy aluminum clipboard will feature a similar logo as the clipboards found on Battlestar Galactica, not to mention boasting of cut corner paper with the Battlestar Galactica watermark, too. After all, if you are supposed to figure out just how you are going to fly a Viper, why not take down the relevant notes on officially sanctioned paper so that you are able to memorize all the buttons as well as necessary controls?

Needless to say, for folks who are more grounded and down to earth, the Battlestar Galactica Clipboard would come in handy to strike off your shopping list item by item as you scour through the different aisles. You know that Battlestar Galactica ride at Universal Studios Singapore? Why not doodle scenes at the ride while you queue up for your turn with this, surely it will invite some knowing nods and winks from other Battlestar Galactica fans in line.

[ Battlestar Galactica Clipboard copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The Daleks are the most fearsome creatures that the universe has to offer. They must be since they keep “almost” destroying Earth, the universe and everything in it. The Doctor has known no stronger foe. And now, feast your eyes on the supreme Dalek with extra cheese.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was during the great time war that the Doctor banished the Daleks from time itself. However, unbeknownst to him, one Dalek survived in the resulting chaos as an un-reality bubble landed in a pizzeria just as a baker was flinging some dough. The Daleks had their agent for their eventual return. The extreme supreme extra cheese, full-pepperoni Dalek was born.

If they can not kill us from without, they would kill us from within. Dalek pizzas were made. With heartburn searing human insides so intensely that humans turned to ash after two hours of digestion, they began their plan for domination (and a thriving pizza chain named Taste of Skaro). Their plan would have worked perfectly. If only that damned blue box hadn’t shown up to pick up an order. And that was the end of the great Dalek pizza master plan.

[via Obvious Winner]

The FDA approved a new technology this week that promises to give limited vision to people who are blind. The technology the FDA has approved is called the artificial retina. It allows people with certain types of blindness to be able to detect crosswalks, people, cars, and some can detect large letters or numbers.

FDA approval for the system marks a new point in the field of vision research promising to help restore sight to some people who are blind. The artificial retina is a sheet of electrodes that is implanted into the person’s eye. The patient is also fitted with glasses that feature an integrated camera and a portable video processor.

The entire system is known as Argus II and allows visual signals to bypass the damage portion of the retina in be transferred directly to the brain. The artificial retina doesn’t allow the blind to see in the conventional sense that most of us are used to. It does give those fitted with the system the ability to identify outlines and boundaries of objects. It is said to be particularly effective when there is high contrast between light and dark areas.

The Argus II is made by a company called Second Site Medical Products and is specifically designed to treat people with severe retinitis pigmentosa. People with this condition have deteriorated photoreceptor cells in the eye that are meant to take in light. About 100,000 Americans are believed to suffer from this medical condition and somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 are expected to qualify for the Argus II system. To qualify people have to be over 25 and had previously useful vision. The system will cost about $150,000 not counting surgery and training and it remains unclear if insurance companies will cover the system.

[via NYT]

FDA approves artificial retina for the blind is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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