Hasta La Gadget!

Blindness is arguably one of the worst afflictions one can have, making life exceedingly difficult. Nine people have been liberated from the from their blindness, however, thanks to a retinal implant that restores light to an eye that otherwise can’t see it. Called the Alpha IMS, this device utilizes the eye’s own neurons, unlike some other devices.

The device is implanted in the patient’s head and is powered via a separate battery pack that is wireless and located outside of the body. Underneath the retina, a grid containing 1500 electrodes is implanted, a method said to provide the patient with a higher resolution sight than other options.The implant works by detecting light.

The amount of light detected can be controlled by the patient via a dial that is located behind the ear. The grid works in much the same way as the light-detecting cells in the eyes, and for this reason it does not work for just any type of blindness. Rather, it works for those who have lost their vision due to a condition that has destroyed the eye’s ability to detect light.

The biggest advantage to the Alpha IMS over other camera-based methods is that it is more natural, and doesn’t require the patient to wear a camera. Because the implant is under the retina, the eye can be moved naturally to look around, giving the patient more freedom and a more natural vision. The patient’s own eye is responsible for detecting contrast and other such things.

[via New Scientist]

Retinal implant allows the blind to see again is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Hey, Academy Award-winning actors, we get it: there’s intense pressure to thank a lot of people when you pick up an Oscar. From the inevitable thank you’s to God and the Weinstein brothers, to those tender homages to 7th grade drama teachers, there’s a veritable laundry list of people to pay respect to when you win showbiz’s most coveted prize.

But one person you should probably remember to thank, at least if you want to stay married? Your spouse.

Trust us. The seven Oscar-winning actors below all short-shrifted their spouses in their acceptance speeches… and then ended up getting divorced. Click through to see who they are — and take note, Ben Affleck and Anne Hathaway, a little thank you goes a long way.

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Google’s flagship Chromebook might be a solid piece of hardware, but its prohibitive $1,299-1,449 sticker price left us aching for the ability to dual-boot a more robust operating system. Lucky for us that Google’s Benson Leung has a knack for Linux — he’s already patching the Linux kernel to support Pixel’s hardware. Just hours after the notebook’s reveal, Leung updated the Linux kernel mailing list with patches supporting the Pixel’s touchpad, touchscreen and ambient light sensor. A small step, to be sure, but one that could eventually help the community build a Linux distro that can make the most out of Google’s premium hardware.

Filed under: Laptops, Software

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Via: Phoronix

Source: Benson Leung (Google+)

Back in June, we got our hands on Asus’s Transformer Book, a laptop/tablet hybrid running Windows 8. Today, some retailers have opened the 13.3-inch version up to pre-orders, with users being able to grab it for $1,480. Says one retailer, the device will be in stock and begin shipping in the middle of next month.

Officially the Asus Transformer Book TX300CA, the biggest thing that separates this svelte hybrid from Asus’s Transformer Pad is its innards. Equipped with an Intel Core i7-3517U CPU, the device runs Windows 8, and functions just as any other laptop – with the exception of transforming into a tablet. This is one model in the line, which will also feature an 11.6-inch and 14-inch model.

The 13.3-inch model features 4GB of RAM in addition to the Core i7, and has a 128GB SSD. When the keyboard is tossed into the mix, however, its 500GB drive is added to the SSD, bringing the total up to 628GB of storage, a large enough amount to satisfy most users. The only downside to this setup is that access to the data on the HDD won’t be available when the Transformer Book is being used as a tablet, meaning those who use it to store media, such as movies and music, will only have access to the data when the keyboard is being used.

The display is an IPS multi-touch with a full 1080p HD resolution. There’s a high-definition webcam on the front and a multi-touch trackpad on the keyboard dock. Connectivity includes Bluetooth and USB 3.0. In addition to the Core i7, some retailers are also showing a cheaper version featuring a Core i5 processor.

[via Liliputing]

Asus Transformer Book hybrid now available for pre-order is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

I had my opinionated first-grader examine all nine posters for the Best Picture category and give her take on what she thought they were about (and yes, one of them starred fairies).
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